The Hero Complex
by onekisstotakewithmex
Summary: It's the end of May, and despite everything going well, Gibbs' gut tells him that it's all going down hill, putting him and the rest of his team in imminent danger. A rewrite of Twilight/ Kill Ari I & II, Kibbs, Part 8 of "With You, Every Day is a Holiday"
1. Chapter 1

She was warm, and comfortable, curled into a ball, with an arm slung over her waist. She was also awake quite suddenly, her eyes opening to the early morning sunlight pouring in the window. She blinked sleepily, staring into the eyes of the person beside her, whom the arm belonged to. The bright blue eyes were accompanied by a smile, and she closed her eyes again, smiling to herself.

"Mornin', Katie," he said, and if he was surprised to find his subordinate in his bed, it didn't show.

She yawned. "Morning."

"No nightmares," he commented with a smile.

"What?"

"Ya didn't have nightmares. Did ya?"

"No… I didn't."

"Good."

"What time is it?" she asked, looking over at the clock. She couldn't see what it said from her current angle, and didn't bother to guess.

"A little after six."

"Should get up," she gestured towards the bathroom, but made no actual motion to get up.

He was still watching her, and she was slightly concerned. He never stayed in bed once he was awake, unless she was demanding his company in bed. He was usually up and dressed and ready with a fresh pot of coffee, not lounging in bed with her. He noticed her concern. "What?"

"I'm just surprised that you're not up yet."

"Maybe I felt like stayin' here. With you." It was the only explanation he offered, along with a dazzling smile that woke her up more than any of his strong coffee could.

"Well, now we're going to be late, so I hope it was worth it."

"We have plenty of time, Katie. Breakfast?"

"Can we grab something on the way in?" she asked, pushing away his arm and moving to roll out of bed. She shrieked when he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back against him.

"Katie, I think we're allowed to be a little late."

"DiNozzo is coming back today, and what kind of picture does it paint if he beats us to the office?"

"No doubt he's sleepin' in too. C'mon Katie, how often do we get an extra couple of minutes in bed?"

"Considering we're usually preoccupied when we're anywhere near a bed?" But he could tell that she was relenting, and grinned, kissing her shoulder blade.

"Knew I could convince ya."

"It wasn't that hard to, LJ."

"That wasn't hard," he agreed.

"But you are."

"Hush, Katie, you're ruinin' the moment." She leaned back into him, the warmth of his body encompassing hers, and he nipped at her ear with his teeth. She pulled away, and elbowed him. He wheezed, but started laughing. "See, this is what I get for tryin' to be romantic."

"You weren't trying to do anything… except maybe seduce me."

"I have to try? I'm losin' my touch."

"Now who's ruining the moment?" she countered, rolling over so she was facing him. He was watching her, a slight smile curling up the corners of his mouth.

"Did I ever mention you're beautiful, Katie?"

"Probably once or twice." She yawned again.

"Well, I'm sayin' it again. You're beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous."

"Is this your way of convincing me to stay in bed, LJ? Because it's working."

"It's just ten minutes."

"And then ten minutes turns into twenty minutes, which turns into us showering together to 'save time' and that leads to us pulling the car over to the side of the road, and then stopping in the elevator, and then it's a whole other hour before we ever _get_ to the-,"

She was abruptly cut off by Gibbs pulling her into a kiss, stopping her protests about sleeping in at her lips. She relaxed into the kiss, allowing him to tangle his hands in her hair. He pulled away, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and grinned. "I thought you'd never shut up."

She punched him in the shoulder. "If there was a moment, you officially ruined it."

He nodded. "Maybe. Weren't nothin' ya didn't deserve. We can go in as late as we want. I have some pull with the boss."

"I do too… I'm sleepin' with him."

"I believe, Agent Todd, that the agency frowns upon that."

"So does my boss. But it doesn't stop _him_ from coming to my bed."

"I believe this is my bed, Cap'n."

"Well…" she made a big show of throwing back the sheets, "In that case, I'll leave. Wouldn't want to overstay my welcome."

He lay there for a second, his eyes still on her, with an adoration that made her burn under his watchful gaze. "That, Katie, is somethin' ya could never do."

She smiled at him, opening a drawer to pull out some clothes for the day. "You say the sweetest things."

"I try. Katie, I just wanted to give ya a few extra minutes."

"Your gut telling you something?" she asked, turning back to him, halfway through pulling on her pants. He smiled at the sight, but then frowned as he contemplated her question.

"Yeah, Kate. I just gotta feelin'… I don't know when we'll get to do this again."

"Tomorrow morning, probably," she replied casually. He had nearly asked her to move in with him, but somehow doing that made it more official. There would be time to ask her later, to even _consider_ the idea of living together. They had all the time in the world; at least that's how it felt this early in the morning.

"I meant sleep in. Be lazy."

"The weekend?" she asked, now in the process of pulling a shirt over her head.

"Kate." His voice was quiet, and she turned at the tone. "I'm serious."

"Gibbs, I'm not going anywhere. You're not going anywhere. Except work." Her stomach growled. "Case in point, we need to grab breakfast on the way."

"I'm just worried."

"About me?" she asked. "I'm fine." She walked back over and sat on the edge of the bed next to him. "I can take care of myself."

He took her hand in his. "Just gotta bad feeling… don't wanna lose you, Katie." He was struggling, still not very articulate, even around her, and especially first thing in the morning.

"I'm here, LJ. I am not leaving your side. Okay?"

He nodded. "Promise?" he asked, smiling. It was a little juvenile but she couldn't complain. She did have a habit of doing heroic things… things that more often than not got her into trouble; or at least sent her to the emergency room. But he was bad enough on his own, when it came to heroics. Having two people on the same team when both possessed a hero complex… maybe wasn't the best plan. But it would take a lot to pull her from the team.

"I promise. Come on, I'll buy your coffee."

"You will."

"Sure. One of us has to be chivalrous."

He raised an eyebrow. "Lettin' ya sleep in wasn't chivalrous?"

"It was, but it could have been better." She offered a winning smile, and he rolled his eyes.

"I didn't have time to do things properly… and I prefer takin' my time."

"I know." The door to the bathroom closed, and he was left to roll his eyes. How long did they have to be together before he got used to waking up with her in his arms? He smiled to himself for a second, marvelling at how absolutely and stupidly smitten he was with her. He only hoped she didn't mind.

The door opened, and she stuck her head out, "Do I have time for a shower?"

He checked his watch, "Probably not."

She cursed under her breath, before walking out of the bathroom, slipping the bracelet he'd gotten her onto her wrist, before calling "I'll meet you downstairs, LJ!"

"Sure thing, Katie. You sure you want to wear your bracelet today?"

She was confused, her hand still on her wrist. "Why wouldn't I want to?"

"Dunno." He shrugged. "It's just-,"

"Your gut still bothering you?" she asked.

"I'll tell it to shut up."

She shook her head, "This isn't about me wearing my bracelet. So what is it about?"

"My gut usually isn't wrong… even with feelings of impendin' doom."

"Don't go there, Gibbs." She reached over and squeezed his hand.

"Go where, Katie?"

"You asked me about nightmares this morning. I'm fine. But you're clearly not. Were you having nightmares?"

"Are you accusin' me of projecting?"

"You worry too much." She kissed his forehead. "I'm waiting in the car."

He sat there for a second, closing his eyes, still feeling her lips on his forehead. It was a feeling of impending doom, yes, but there was something else he couldn't place. The last time he'd woken up with such a feeling, he'd gotten the news that his wife and daughter were dead. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind.

The front door opened, and he nearly smiled at Kate's impatience. "Gibbs, are you coming?"

"Yeah!" he called back. "I'll be right down."

It was May 23, 2005.


	2. Chapter 2

"My ears are still ringing," McGee complained.

Kate turned. "What?"

"I said-," He saw that she was grinning, and stopped. "Very funny, Kate."

She smiled sweetly back. "You're welcome McGee."

They were just finishing up bagging and tagging the remains of the car- the debris was everywhere. Gibbs had Tony sitting in the back of the truck, and as she looked over to check on them, she met his eyes.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at her as if to ask, " _You okay?"._ She nodded, smiling back at him hesitantly. He walked over, "You two ready to go?"

McGee shook his head again, clearly trying to rid himself of the ringing. "Yeah, boss, we're ready to go."

"Kate, you're with me. Tim, you and Tony take the truck. And send him down to autopsy once you're back."

"He's not a corpse yet, Gibbs," Kate teased.

He turned, and muttered. "Though not for lack of trying."

"Boss?" Tim asked.

"Go Tim, or do ya need an engraved invitation?" he snapped.

Tim hurried up and left, leaving Kate alone with Gibbs. "You okay?" he asked.

"Fine. A little rattled, and my ears will be ringing for a month, but I'm fine."

"You're also dusty and smell like gasoline."

"Perks of the job," she said, but her smile faded as she looked at him. "Was this what your gut feeling was telling you?"

He watched her, then shrugged. "Who knows? Coulda been anythin'. What matters is that you're okay. And DiNozzo."

"And McGee."

"And McGee," he agreed, staring after him. "He's gonna make a great agent someday, Katie."

"He's a great agent now."

"He's a probie right now, Kate." He turned back to her with a wry smile. "We all have to start somewhere though."

"Yep. You're right. Somewhere being NCIS."

"Or in your case," he leaned in and smiled, "Air Force One, huh Secret Service?"

She glared after him, as he walked away chuckling. "Alpha Foxtrot 2900," she called, infuriated. He knew that she could never resist correcting him; and he always made a point of saying the wrong name on purpose. And calling her Secret Service! It made her blood boil… but not entirely in unpleasant ways. She blushed, following Gibbs back to the car.

She had the uneasy sensation of being watched, but when she turned around, she was simply surrounded by trees and bushes. She rushed on ahead, feeling spooked. When she got to the car, she wordlessly gestured for Gibbs to go ahead and drive. She had no qualms about getting the hell out of there.

He turned and looked at her. "You good, Kate?"

"Fine."

"You sure? Ya look like somethins' wrong."

"No. I'm fine. Just a memory."

"A memory?" he asked.

She shook her head. "It's stupid. C'mon, let's go. And no detours this time."

"You always accuse me of takin' detours, maybe you should do the driving!"

"I'd gladly drive if it meant all my internal organs _stayed_ internal!" she retorted.

He glared at her, "Ya know, Kate you can be a real-,"

"Pain in the ass?"

"Yes!"

"If I am, it's probably because you're a bastard!"

They had been having troubles keeping a straight face to begin with, but both started laughing at the absurdity of it all, and he rolled his eyes. "So am I exiled to the couch tonight?"

"No way. The nights are still too cold for that."

"Ah," he smiled to himself. His gut was still churning though, and it wasn't because of a near miss. Something was happening, that he was certain of. And it wasn't good. "Did ya mean that?"

"That you're a bastard? Yes. But I meant it… with love."

"Thanks Katie. And I meant that you're a pain in my ass, but you are _my_ pain in the ass."

She rolled her eyes, "Thanks."

"Anytime."

 **XNCISX**

"Gibbs… where are you going?" he heard the question from behind him, and turned to see Kate. He had told them that he was going out, and given them their orders, but here she was, arms crossed. She looked almost nervous… which wasn't like her.

"Why?"

"I'm just wondering, since you're leaving me here with Tony and Tim… and there's some friction."

"Are ya tattlin', Kate?"

"Definitely not. That is completely unprofessional. Not nearly as unprofessional as murdering Tony and Tim though. Which may be a temptation."

"Katie," he sighed, with a slight smile. "Do ya trust me?"

"You know the answer to that, Gibbs."

The elevator doors opened, and he gestured for her to join him. "I'm just grabbing a coffee."

"Okay. Want company?"

He considered it for a second, "Nah. They'll wonder where you've gone. And I did give ya orders, Katie. Find out what Westfall was doing at Aberdeen. And I do want to know by the time I get back."

"Okay, Gibbs. If you insist." She leaned against the railing of the elevator. "Gut still bugging you?"

"Without a doubt. How are you?"

"Gruesome bodies… Tony suffering… it's been an average day, to say the least."

"You better not be slacking off, Katie. I hear the boss doesn't like that."

"The boss doesn't like that, huh?" she offered a half smile. "Well, I'll make it up to him later."

"Ha!" he snorted. "So you _are_ slacking off."

"I'm not. Honestly!"

He kissed her on the forehead, right before the elevator doors opened. "Look after yourself, Katie."

"You too!" she called, and he waved over his shoulder, indicating that he'd heard. She stood there for a second, unwilling to admit that her gut was churning as much as his, and it wasn't from the Chinese food. Something was afoot.

Gibbs had unwillingly left her behind, and normally he wouldn't have objected to her being there, but he had a feeling that the more Kate was around him lately, the more danger she'd be in. It seemed ridiculous of course, but at the same time… was it really?

He got in the car, resolving to come back as soon as possible and check up on the team's progress. He drove into downtown DC, resolving to get coffee from his second-favorite coffee place, instead of driving over to the diner.

He took a deep breath, wanting nothing more than to rush back to the office and force Kate into a bulletproof vest. He didn't know what had him so paranoid, but there was something going on for sure.

His phone rang, and he silenced it, without even looking at who was calling. Whoever it was could wait. He just needed a few minutes to drink a coffee and calm his brain down- and if his gut cooled off along with it, how could he complain?

 _Kate, rolling over that morning, eyes hazy with sleep, wearing a smile and little else._

He was practically sleepwalking, going through the motions of ordering coffee, his mind preoccupied. With the case, yes, but also with Kate. His gut was churning harder every second he was away from her. His instinct was trying to tell him that she was in danger. Danger from what?

Leaving the shop with his coffee, he stopped dead in his tracks. He had the sniper's instinct, the soldier's gut feeling, that someone was watching him. He turned and saw the table first, the newspaper held up to hide a face… the motorcycle helmet.

Jesus Christ. It couldn't be.

The newspaper lowered, revealing his own personal ghost, his and Kate's. It was.

What the hell was Ari Haswari doing in DC? Did Kate know? Was she safe?

He walked over, and sat down, without saying a word, simply opening his coffee. No doubt this was the source of his gut acting up all day. What a perfect ending to a perfect day. They sat in silence for a few moments, Gibbs calmly thinking it through, trying to puzzle it out logically.

He spoke. "Washington is such a lovely city this time of the year, don't you agree Special Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs narrowed his eyes at him, but said nothing. This was the source of Kate's nightmares- some of them- and Gibbs would be damned if he walked away alive. He had to shoot Ari now, but he needed a reason. Or he'd be persecuted by at least two federal agencies, maybe more.

"You aren't much of a conversationalist." It was a statement, delivered with a smarmy smile. Gibbs tried to picture Ari's head, sitting on a table in autopsy, far away from Kate. It made him feel a bit better, but not much.

"I'm waiting," he told him.

"For what?" His answer had confused him.

"A reason to shoot you again." He offered a half-smile, a fake one, nothing like the smile he offered Kate whenever he had the chance. "Someone tried to kill my team today… I think you were the one responsible."

"I'm wounded, Gibbs. If it was up to me, you'd be dead already." Yes, the shot in the shoulder, and trapping half his team in autopsy definitely had confirmed that. Kidnapping Kate- Gibbs' blood still ran cold at the memory- had confirmed that.

"You're still coming in with me for questioning."

"I'm sorry, I've made other arrangements for the evening."

"It wasn't a request." He didn't want Ari anywhere near Kate, but he wanted justice at the same time. Justice for Kate. For Gerald. For his _team,_ whom this bastard had wronged too many times.

"I know." He leaned in. "I've planted an explosive device under one of these tables." He turned and waved at a mother and daughter, a sight that made his blood run cold. Innocent people. Ari's favorite targets. "And if you're a good NCIS agent, I might tell you where the bomb is?"

"What are you doing back in DC?" Gibbs asked. _What are you doing back in our life, the life we fixed after you left?_

"An Al-Qaeda cell is planning an attack right here in Washington. I am here to stop it."

"What's the target? Where's the cell located?"

"I do not know."

"You're doin' a hell of a job for a Mossad double agent," Gibbs muttered. It was a fairly weak cover story, but Gibbs knew the higher ups had to believe it. Even if he didn't believe a word.

"I can gain access to the information, but it comes at a price, one that you might not be willing to pay."

"Try me." _I'll do anything to get you behind bars. Or dead._

"Al-Qaeda sent me here to conduct a test and that if I pass, I gain access to the cell. The cell wants me to kill Gibbs."

He was taken aback for just a second. "Means I'm doing my job."

"In order for me to do this, you need to die. What would you do if the roles were reversed?"

"I would kill myself." And if Ari did just that, he'd save NCIS a whole lot of trouble.

"That isn't an option. It's the only part of my religion I subscribe to."

Gibbs tried to avoid smiling. "I could help you with that."

"It's a kind offer, but I have one of my own. I have 24 hours to find and eliminate the cell. If I fail, you and your team will most likely be killed."

Gibbs nodded, trying to quell the rising panic he felt when he thought of Ari destroying his team. "I appreciate the heads-up."

Ari stood up, "It's the least I could… How is Caitlin by the way?" If he'd been intending to strike Gibbs where it hurt, it had worked. Gibbs swallowed, keeping an outwardly calm face. "I have thought of her often since my last visit."

"If you go anywhere near her, then it won't matter what government agency is watching your back… I will kill you." It wasn't a lie, he would sooner kill Ari himself and damn the consequences than let Ari anywhere near his Katie.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Ari turned away, considering the conversation finished.

"What about the bomb?"

"I lied. There isn't any."

Gibbs knew better though. His churning gut told him otherwise. He looked under the table, only to find the bomb. Thirty seconds left. The _bastard._

 **XNCISX**

After having the great fortune of having to explain to Kate that Ari was back in the country- she was upset, but keeping it together, and he didn't have time to check on her thoroughly- and getting the even more pleasurable experience of talking to Fornell, Gibbs was finally able to confront the Director.

And boy, was he looking forward to it. He walked into MTAC, finding Morrow staring at a map, no doubt busy with something else. But Gibbs was through waiting for answers, waiting for anything. Gibbs was glaring, realizing again that his gut was still churning, even after two near disasters. What was left for them to confront?

If Morrow noticed that he was getting Gibbs' infamous death glare, he gave no indication that he was bothered. He simply said. "Ari has been declared off limits. NCIS will have no further involvement of any kind in this case."

"You're kidding, sir?"

"I've been ordered to place you under protective custody for your own safety."

Gibbs took a deep breath. "Meaning for Ari's?" he asked.

"Take what it is. It's a direct order, and you better damn well follow it to the letter."

"I will. Can I give you my resignation, sir?"

"I'll accept it, after you've completed your current case."

He stared, wondering if Morrow was serious.

"Have you found any evidence linking Ari to the murder of the two naval officers?"

"We haven't."

"I'll hand you over to our federally-certified protective custody expert…" Morrow gestured, and a horrible feeling washed over Gibbs as he turned around, eyes going wide when he saw who it was.

Kate.

Naturally.

"You should be flattered. I heard she protected the president." He turned to Kate. "He's all yours." Back t Gibbs. "I expect you to follow Kate's orders to the letter, as if they were mine." Gibbs narrowed his eyes at Kate, wondering exactly how she'd gotten roped into it.

"That last part? He meant." Kate sighed, and then reached out, squeezing his hand once, as if to say _we'll talk later._

Great. Throw together Kate's hero complex and the news that Ari was back in town… no wonder his gut had been churning all day.

"Kate," he muttered. "Don't do anything stupid."

"All I'm here to do is protect you, Gibbs."

She started walking away, leaving him to stare after her. "Yeah," he said to himself. "That's what I was afraid of."


	3. Chapter 3

It was late at night, and he was working, the bullpen silent around him. He always liked to tease Kate, telling her he did his best work at night, and she had often agreed. But he was the only one awake, staring at the crime scene photos in front of him.

He had told them to go home. They hadn't listened. He heard the soft sound of snoring, and looked up, and over at his team, fondly. They hadn't listened, and now they were all sleeping in the office. They'd pay for it in the morning, however. He stood, wincing at his own stiff muscles from sitting in the same place for too long.

He looked around at the bullpen, the orange walls and skylights seeming impenetrable. It was a federal office building, and he felt as safe as he possibly could, considering that they'd been invaded before. He trusted that his team was safe inside these walls.

He walked over to check on Tim, who was sleeping in his desk chair, jacket tucked up to his chest like a quilt. Gibbs smiled at him fondly, rolling his eyes. Yes, he was green, and a probie, but there was something special about him. He mentally checked off McGee as safe, before turning to the next member of his team.

Tony slept with a magazine on his lap- Gibbs noticed it happened to be one of the ones he'd forbidden in the office, but didn't find the heart to chastise him- and a half-eaten pizza sitting on the desk. God, he must have gotten some of his energy. He nodded to himself. Two down, one to go.

He turned to Kate's desk, but it was empty, and he felt a momentary chill down his spine, thinking of Ari's casual demeanor when he mentioned Kate, feeling his gut churning more heavily. _I have thought of her often since my last visit._

He found her lying behind the desk, her head on her jacket that she was using for a pillow. He thought back to the conversation they'd had that morning, about not getting to sleep in for a while. He had a horrible feeling about Ari and Kate, one that he still couldn't place. Trying to quell his disquiet, he kneeled beside her, and before he could stop himself, he was pulling the blanket up, so that it covered her shoulder. He smoothed it out over her shoulder, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, watching as she smiled in her sleep. He stood there for a second, her shoulder warm under his hand, staring. She looked so innocent, so much younger in sleep that he couldn't bear to wake her, even if her companionship would quiet the anger stirring in his mind.

"God help me, Katie, he will never touch you," he murmured. She was safe. For now.

He stood, regretting that he had broken the relative silence of the bullpen by speaking, and hoped only that somewhere tangled in sleep, she had heard him. She had understood his unspoken vow, and his spoken promise. He walked over to the window, sipping his coffee, and staring out, wishing that he and Kate were home in bed, and not here, in the office, waiting for a killer to find them. Something was coming. And it wasn't good.

 **XNCISX**

Kate was awake, refreshingly early, standing up, and touching her head, realizing with an internal sigh that she was of course sporting a rather ferocious bedhead, her hair fluffing out around her face. She stood, taking stock of the team, the way she usually did in times of danger. Yes, there was Tony, still asleep at his desk. McGee too, looking even younger when he was sleeping than when he was awake. And then, bracing herself for a steely glare and then a secretive smile- since Tony and McGee were still asleep- she turned to look at Gibbs.

Her heart dropped through the floor and broke, as she stared. Gibbs was dead, and judging by the blood on his shirt, he'd had his throat slit. His eyes were wide, and staring, the ultimate expression of surprise. Half of her was screaming, her world crumbling around her, while the logical half of her mind tried to rationalize how this could have happened, how only a day ago, Gibbs had been awake, and laughing, and in bed with her, and _Jesus_ she was never going to have a future with him, he was dead.

There was suddenly a hand on her shoulder, and she had no doubt it was someone coming to comfort her. Tony. McGee even. Abby was no doubt hysterical. But when she turned around, she caught a whiff of cologne, and her mind flooded with the bitter, suppressed memories.

Ari was half smiling at her, his eyes cold and knowing, and whatever kindness she'd once seen in them was most certainly an illusion, and it had to have been him, and he was going to kill her next. "Did you miss me?" he asked softly.

She jerked away, gasping the name of the person she wanted to see most. "Gibbs!" she cried, before noticing that Tony was there. It was a nightmare. Her thudding heart slowed back to normal, as Tony stared in confusion.

"You dream about Gibbs?" he asked, unaware that she was distressed apparently, or trying to ignore it.

She realized he was getting the wrong idea, and instead of admitting that it was a nightmare (for she'd never hear the end of it if she did), she just said "What? No! God no."

"Just said his name…" Tony was smirking by now.

"No I didn't." Well yes she had, but only out of terror. She looked around, hoping she could see Gibbs soon, and stop him from doing anything stupid to antagonize Ari- probably too late for that- or getting himself in a dangerous situation.

"Yes you did."

McGee walked over, sensing that there was something going on. Kate's eyes went wide when she saw he had breakfast, the smell of fresh, hot coffee further reinforcing that it was a dream. Gibbs was okay. "What's going on?"

Tony was now intending to use his blackmail. "Kate dreams about Gibbs," he informed him. Great. It would be all over the office by sundown. Scuttlebutt was a powerful thing.

McGee blinked, confused, looking between Kate and Tony. "Oh… what was it about?"

"No, no." She decided to stop it right there. "I didn't dream about Gibbs." She noticed him walking in out of the corner of her eye, and tried to protest.

"She screamed his name," Tony said with a smirk.

"Really…" Tim tried to hide his smile.

She was quite suddenly very tempted to murder both of them in cold blood before Ari had the chance, but simply sighed, and touched her head. It reminded her- there was one similarity between herself and her dream… she still had the bed head. Despite not having actually slept in a bed, but on the floor of the bullpen. She pushed past them to follow Gibbs to his desk, trying to look him over as discreetly as possible. He looked fine to her.

"Look, if you want to check out the defence contracting company with us today, you're wearing a vest." She held up said vest as Gibbs pulled his shirt on over his head. Her heart was still pounding, only just starting to slow down, and the sight of Gibbs alive and whole nearly brought tears to her eyes. God, what if something happened to him?

He tossed his shirt aside, offering her a slight smile. He'd get to the bottom of the matter later. "I can live with that."

"That's kind of the point, Gibbs."

"All right, we're headin' out in twenty minutes," Gibbs said, looking at her with his vest on. "So all of ya might wanna… freshen up."

"And you?" she called.

"Me? I'm fine." He grinned. "But ya oughta do somethin' with your hair, Kate."

She made a face, unimpressed as he headed off. She stretched again, the muscles in her back sore from a night spent on the bullpen floor.

"Hey, Kate?"

She turned to see McGee, still holding his tray of coffees, looking somewhat lost, but no worse for wear from having slept in his office chair. His clothes barely even looked rumpled. "What is it, Tim?" she asked, expecting him to make fun of her again, the way Tony's smirk promised that more was coming from his end.

"Are you okay? You seem a little… on edge."

"I'm fine, Tim. It was just a nightmare." She froze, realizing that a moment of candor such as this likely wouldn't benefit either her or him. But this was Tim after all, and she'd been through enough stakeouts and shootouts with him, had in fact spent the last two weeks working with only him, that she knew he did have her back.

"A nightmare? Are you okay?" He was worried.

"Yeah, Tim, I just have bad dreams sometimes. A rough couple of cases… you know how it is."

"Yeah, I do. Uh, Kate, I might be overstepping my boundaries here… but if you ever want someone to talk to, I'm here."

She grabbed his hand impulsively and squeezed it. "Thanks, Tim. I appreciate it." Releasing his hand, she took the coffee from him, and smiled, inhaling the fragrant scent of coffee. "And same here. If you ever want to talk to me, about work, or life, or anything… I'm here." She had never been an older sister, had thrived and survived in fact, as the scrappy younger sibling, but all the same felt a big sister instinct to have Tim's back.

She wanted the privilege of watching him grow up.

Tony walked back in, effectively ending their quiet moment, but offering a winning smile to both of them. "Hey there, Kate, McRumpled."

"My suit's barely creased!" McGee said, anxiously looking himself over.

Kate yawned, and shook her head. "Leave him alone, Tony."

They both turned to look at her, Tony with eyebrows raised. "Oh, I see, now that you're dreaming about Gibbs, you're also channeling him."

"I told you, Tony-,"

"She wasn't dreaming about Gibbs," McGee standing up to Tony was nearly unheard of, so it was his turn to be stared at. "Or at least if she was, then who cares Tony? I dream about Gibbs sometimes." She smiled to herself at him putting himself out there to be teased like that, but appreciated the help all the same.

"Yeah," Tony mimicked, "And I dream about Gibbs too, and sometimes we get to build the boat together, isn't it just _wonderful!"_

"Somethin' wrong with boat building, DiNozzo?" the voice asked from behind him, and Tony froze.

"Oh hey there, boss. No. Boat building is cool. In fact, I'm kind of hurt you've never invited me."

McGee and Kate shared a grin at Tony's misfortune. Gibbs walked past with a grin, "Well, DiNozzo, it's more for the boat's safety than yours. We're headin' out."

"All in the car?" Tony asked, "Because if so-,"

"Shotgun!" Kate grinned, walking past him. "Enjoy the back seat, DiNozzo."

"Oh c'mon, I have permanent shotgun!" He protested.

"That expired," Tim told him on his way past.

Gibbs was the second to last. "Get a move on DiNozzo, or you're ridin' on the roof."

Still grumbling, Tony followed him out of the bullpen, heading for both Danborn Avionics, and whatever came next.

 **XNCISX**

Kate was listening to Abby babble about the drone and its capacity to kill, depending on the payload, before she concluded, "It's not a lot of bang for your buck."

"It is if you're going after a soft target, Abs," Gibbs said quietly, matching eyes with Kate who nodded. Maybe this was the source of their mutual unease as of late, but it was as though both knew that things were going to happen.

"A soft target?" Abby asked, looking between them. She was obviously confused, but the unspoken messages passing between Kate and Gibbs were clear.

"People," Kate said, just as softly, understanding perfectly. Now they just needed to connect it to Ari, and then they'd truly have untangled the cause of their discomfort.

""Oh" Abby's reply said it all.

"Is there a way to stop it if it's launched?" Gibbs asked, turning the conversation back to work, knowing that whoever was being targeted was likely someone important; or important people. Kate thought hard. This was DC, and there were plenty of targets to hit, plenty of important people who would be more valuable dead than alive.

"It wouldn't be hard to destabilize the system" she started thoughtfully. "We have the operation frequencies… another controller could probably jam it." Kate could practically see the gears whirring to life in her already busy mind.

"Get me another controller" Gibbs said, the answer clear to him. He started to head out of the lab, presumably going to get an update from DiNozzo and McGee

"But Gibbs, there's a catch!" Abby called, making him stop cold in his tracks. He turned back around and looked at her. He gestured as if to say _what now?_

"You'd have to be within a forty-mile radius to jam it," she explained, looking concerned.

Gibbs nodded, and headed out. Kate was about to follow, when Abby said softly "Hey."

Kate turned, and looked quizzically at Abby. She looked really worried, and it instantly got Kate worried. For a second, she thought it was about Ari, and then when that didn't pan out logically, she assumed the next worst. Abby had figured her and Gibbs out. She wasn't expecting what Abby actually had to say.

"I had a weird dream about Tony last night" Abby said, looking troubled.

Kate was concerned. she thought _Could it be like my nightmare?_ But she tried to play it off, thinking that if she showed courage, Abby would be reassured. "Ew, not the one where the two of you were at the zoo and he-."

"Oh, no, no" Abby said hastily, and Kate was incrementally relieved "He's fully clothed in this one. But he had… blood all over his face… I woke up crying, Kate, I never cry, never ever _ever._ "

Kate's heart stopped for a second, before resuming to beat. She suddenly wanted to confess everything, tell Abby all about Gibbs' churning gut, Ari's return, and her nightmares. She wanted so desperately to tell Abby- her closest friend- just how terrified she was. But she didn't. Instead, she did what she did best, and reassured her instead. Maybe later, she'd regret her bravado, if things went sideways. "Hey" she said, touching Abby's arm, "it was just a bête noire. Gotta go."

She hurried away, without a backwards glance, feeling an odd chill down her spine as she did. Abby went back to work, and at the last second, she turned to watch Abby for a second, hard at work, nodding her head to the music playing in her lab. Kate's heart warmed a bit, watching her best friend. She crossed her arms, feeling a bit sick, like this was the last time she'd ever see her. She moved her hands quickly, using the first thing Abby had taught her in sign language.

 _I love you._

And then, knowing Abby hadn't seen her, she walked away, swallowing her tears as she hit the elevator button.

It arrived, and she hesitated.

Dare she go back to the bullpen, where no doubt the bad news was piling up? Or should she go see if there was any break in the case from Ducky?

Who was she fooling?

She stepped into the elevator, feeling more and more uneasy by the second. It wasn't just the nightmares… those alone were bad, but when combined with Gibbs' perfect instinct that things were going to happen, and Abby waking up crying, she knew that something very, _very_ bad was about to happen. So she was really going to see Ducky, not for a break in the case as she tried to convince herself she was, but to… say goodbye.

She didn't think she was walking away. She fiddled with her bracelet, suddenly feeling like the chain of her necklace was tight against her throat. She unclasped it, sliding it into her pocket. It was foolish to wear a necklace to work anyway, when it could be used as a weapon.

The elevator doors opened, and she walked into autopsy, thankful that it was just Ducky, and not Jimmy, that awaited her.

"Hey," she said softly.

Ducky, who'd been sitting at his desk, turned around at the sound of her voice, and stood up. "Caitlin! What a pleasure."

"You saw me yesterday," she teased.

"I could never see you enough my dear. Come, take a seat. I just made tea."

"I probably can't stay long," she admitted.

"Please, nothing heals like tea." He moved around, putting together the tea. "Milk? Sugar?"

"Yes, both please. Who said I needed healing?"

He turned with a smile, "My dear, you needn't be brave around me."

She put a hand to her forehead, crumbling at his words. Her shoulders shook a little as she tried not to cry.

"Now, what seems to be the trouble, Caitlin? Has something happened with Jethro? Or is it work?"

"Everything." She looked up at him, into his kindly face, so different from her own father's. He was still just as much a father figure to her, but instead of really confiding in him, she simply clutched her mug tighter, using her sleeve to wipe at her eyes.

"Jethro has been unusually tense lately," Ducky commented, almost to himself. "What has you so troubled?"

"Ari's back."

He froze, staring at her for a second. "That certainly is a problem."

"I don't know what to do, Ducky, because something is going to happen."

"How can you be sure?"

"Gibbs."

"Ah, his infamous gut instinct?"

"Not just his. Mine too. I've been having nightmares."

"It is to be expected, in your present state of mind."

"So has Abby… she woke up crying, Ducky."

"That doesn't sound like Abigail." He sipped his own tea, before staring thoughtfully over the edge of the mug. "Caitlin…"

"What?" she asked.

He reached over and took her hand. "I am by no means a professional, but may I make a suggestion?"

"Ducky, you know I trust any advice you give."

"Please, be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'm worried about Gibbs, not me."

"You aren't worried for yourself?" he asked. He looked concerned. "Only Jethro?"

"It's the team, Ducky. I know we're not invincible, we never have been. Pacci confirmed that. Tony getting the plague confirmed that. But…"

"But the thought of losing a teammate is a bit different than logic?" he asked, understanding.

"I knew what I signed up for, Ducky. It's not like that. I did know. We all do. We know that when we walk out the door, there's a chance we never come back."

"And you've accepted that fact for yourself?" he asked.

"Maybe. I have a few affairs I need to get in order," she said, and his eyes widened.

"Caitlin, surely you don't think you will die?"

"I don't know, Ducky. But Ari's vendetta is against Gibbs, and Gibbs will stop at nothing to get Ari-,"

"And you, my dear, are caught right in the middle of their mind games, yes?"

"Yes," she breathed deeply for a second, on the verge of tears again. "I'm sorry, I should really be getting back to work."

"Caitlin," he squeezed her hand again, "Faith is important. Faith and the knowledge that you did everything right."

She stood, setting her chipped mug on the edge of the desk, and looked at Ducky for a second, straightening his bow tie for him. And then she leaned in, kissing him on the cheek, slipping her necklace into his lab coat. If this was the end, so be it. "Thank you, Ducky. For everything."

"Caitlin, my dear, it was my pleasure. Take care of yourself."

"I will. You too." She squeezed his hand, one final time, before turning her back on him. She stopped partway out the door, before turning to look at him. "Ducky?"

"Yes, my dear?"

She couldn't find the words, but finally managed a few. It was the only suitable goodbye she could find, remembering the moments she could never forget; the man who was as much her father as the man who raised her. "Good bye, Ducky."

He saluted her with his cup of tea, "Don't stay away too long."

She turned, eyes burning with newly unshed tears, walking into the elevator. She knew, and hoped, in her most logical state of mind, that she was in all likelihood going to be back again. But it was still the last image of Ducky saluting her with his cup of tea that had emblazoned itself on her brain. Maybe she was sentimental, and maybe she was a fool, but there was a part of her that had accepted her fate; the war between Gibbs and Ari was going to have at least one casualty, and she felt that it was most likely going to be her.


	4. Chapter 4

She was not afraid to die.

At least, that's what she kept repeating in her head, over and over again, praying that if she repeated it enough times, that it might end up being true.

But sitting behind the State Trooper car, the one that had no doubt pulled over the unfortunate Naval officers, breathing heavily after a shootout, it was harder to convince herself that she was ready for death.

"Katie, Katie, whoa, you okay?" Gibbs had been repeating her name, and she had only just tuned in, to see him looking at her worriedly.

"I'm fine, Gibbs, don't worry so much."

"Of course I'm going to worry, Katie. We're in a shootout, and that _bastard_ is somewhere nearby. Waiting to take me down. And I don't' think who he kills while he's still got me in his crosshairs."

"Now isn't the time, Gibbs!" she snapped back, exhausted suddenly. "If he kills us, he kills us!"

"No, no, Katie, you can't just give up like that."

"You need to stop panicking," she said softly, cupping his face in her hands. "Please, Gibbs."

"I've gotta bad feelin'-,"

"I know you do, but we don't have time right now. We have to stop Ari from killing a whole bunch of innocent people, and if worrying about me is stopping you from doing your job, then stop worrying. We can't afford to be distracted."

"Katie, I-," he was cut off by the sound of McGee's panicky voice.

"They fired the drone, boss!"

Gibbs frowned "Jam it McGee!"

"I can do this," she thought she heard McGee mutter, and sent a brief prayer skyward that he was indeed okay, that he could do it. A lot of lives hung in the balance if he couldn't, but she thought back to what Ducky had said- he had mentioned faith- and resolved to follow his advice, and her own. She couldn't be distracted.

"You okay?" Gibbs asked her.

She nodded, unsure of what else to say. "Come on."

She stood up, surveying the warehouse, before seeing that it was empty of human presence aside from them.

"Got one down boss, no visual on anyone else."

Kate and Gibbs exchanged a look, and he reached over, squeezing her hand. She wasn't sure which one of them was more reluctant to let go. The adrenaline was rushing through her, and she could momentarily forget that she was terrified to die. They were both wondering if this was the last time they'd ever have a moment alone, so she quickly reached up and kissed him, gently, before pulling away. If Ari was up there, she'd gladly meet her fate.

They took the stairs to the roof, and Gibbs muttered "Let's do it."

He kicked the door open, and the first thing Kate heard was a gunshot, her heart pounding in her ears, her breath coming in short gasps, before seeing the terrorist responsible almost knocked to the ground by one of Tony's shots. Kate fired at him too, but he ducked away, avoiding it. _Damn her shooting._ She paused, thinking back to the long ago given advice- relax her shoulders.

At the same time, they all saw one of the terrorists at the controls, and firing shots with marksmanship that would make any instructor proud, they stopped them. Kate stopped for a second, taking a deep breath. This was nothing, this was something she could handle. Ari wasn't there, and for a second, she could almost fool herself into thinking that he was gone, he wasn't really in the States, he'd left. But she knew better.

Gibbs kicked away the gun the terrorist was holding.

"Clear" Tony said, sounding as relieved as possible in the moment.

And yet, they were all wondering where Ari was… though that concern was outweighed by slightly more pressing ones.

"McGee! This thing is still flying!" Gibbs called. He knew next to nothing about technology, but he knew about the innocent victims on the pier that were about to all be killed if they couldn't stop the drone.

"Okay," she heard him say, "One frequency down, two to go!"

They heard shots, echoing up around them, but Kate was struck with a sudden paralyzing fear that Tim had been shot. She couldn't bear to think of such a promising career cut short by the bullets all around them, knowing that she would have gladly offered herself up instead to the terrorists. Not Tim. Jesus, he was so young. She wanted to call out, but all they heard on the other end was silence. A deadly, terrifying silence that promised a young agent bleeding out on the street.

And then she nearly sobbed in relief when she heard his voice, loud and clear- "Boss, one of them shot my transmitter."

Gibbs sighed, frowning, as he stared at the controls.

"You know how to fly this thing?" Tony asked, nervously looking it over.

"No" Gibbs replied with a half-smile, "But I know how to crash it." He fired a few shots at the transmitter, destroying it. One problem down, at least. Kate tried to smile. All in a day's work. And McGee was alive, though in what condition, she wasn't sure.

There was a collective sigh of relief from the three of them. Gibbs walked over, looking over the side of the building to check on their youngest team member. "McGee, you okay?"

"I've got one terrorist inside, I don't know if I got him, but he stopped shooting" was McGee's reply.

"Hold your position, we'll flush him" Gibbs said, exchanging knowing looks with Tony and Kate.

"Okay." Kate was so relieved about Tim being okay, that she didn't care if she died in the next few minutes. And then she realized that they still had a terrorist inside. Maybe it was Ari. And it would just figure that she'd end up empty when the last terrorist was there.

Gibbs checked his gun, and sighed "I'm out."

Kate was sure to check the shotgun again, hopefully. "Me too" she muttered.

As Tony was handing Gibbs the bullets, out of the corner of her eye, Kate saw the door slowly opening, every alarm bell in her brain screaming at her to act, because Gibbs' gun wasn't loaded and neither was hers, because they had been killing terrorists, but they'd calmed down, giddy with relief, and now they'd pay for it.

She acted without thinking, tossing her gun to the ground.

 _"Shooter_!" she yelled, throwing herself towards Gibbs, just as something whizzed past her. She managed to jump in the way of the bullet. Pain blossomed in her chest, hot and radiant, quite possibly the worst pain she'd ever felt, and through the haze in her brain, she realized that what had gone past her was another bullet. She thought feebly for a second that if she'd been standing there when that sniper rifle had fired, she'd have a hole in her brain. Everything clicked together.

Ari.

Sniper rifle.

And her, bleeding to death on a rooftop. Nearly dead of a bullet through the brain.

She was alive, but not for long with such a painful chest wound. Every breath was a struggle.

"Kate!" Gibbs' yell was painful to listen to. And then he seemed to understand the significance of what was happening. "We've got a sniper! Hit the deck."

"On it boss." Tony was suddenly lying on the ground nearby, and she stared at him, her brain not realizing what was going on.

"McGee! Call an ambulance!" Gibbs' hands were warm, as they unzipped her jacket, trying to assess the damage, and she could hear the fear in his voice, knew that it was for her, because he had a vest, and she didn't, and now she was paying for it. She couldn't apologize, couldn't spare one last _I love you,_ couldn't offer anything but one word choked out.

"Gibbs," she managed, before her eyes slid shut.

 _Am I really ready to die?_


	5. Chapter 5

Normally, the stress of his job was not reflected in his demeanor. But that day, everything had changed. Ducky was quiet as he stepped off the elevator, soaked from the pouring rain outside, walking down the corridor and into the dark room that awaited. He hung up his coat on the coat rack, putting his hat there too, before walking over, and standing over the inert body lying in front of him. The room was filled with silence. He bowed his head, as though in prayer, before taking off his glasses.

"Oh Caitlin," he murmured. "I am so sorry."

He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it with his own, realizing and understanding that her visit earlier had been to say goodbye. The necklace she had slipped into his pocket that day was not an accident, but a parting gift, a way to remember her by. He had nearly been moved to tears upon finding it, but had refused to believe that this was the end. How many colleagues and friends had ended up on one of his tables? Too many to count.

He did not want to examine her; he knew the damage that bullets wreaked on the flesh, knew the trauma and pain and terror experienced by the victim. He had spent so many hours learning the exact torment of bullet fragments, the bleeding, and the suffering that occurred. He knew all about the fragility of the human body, but in that moment, he had never hated his career more.

How could this have happened so fast? It had been less than twelve hours since she had walked into autopsy, had talked to him, and shared a cup of tea with him. She was his daughter, the one he never had himself, and at that moment, the realization of every wasted opportunity, every missed moment, every precious lost second hit him. Hard.

And he knew, he _hoped_ that this wasn't goodbye. It was only by sheer diving mercy that she _wasn't_ lying on a table in autopsy, instead of here in a hospital bed. She'd taken a bullet to the chest. Nearly taken another to the brain. He was thoroughly chilled at the thought. She had come close enough to death enough for one day. Her heart had stopped twice on the operating table, when they'd been digging fragments of bullets from her body.

She was alive. Barely.

The room was dim, and he was watching her, even as he pulled up a chair, keeping her hand firmly in his. He kept his voice light, hoping that she was in there somewhere and could hear him. "Jethro wanted to be here, Caitlin. But he wouldn't let himself. He's scared. We all are."

He was answered with deafening silence.

Ducky smiled down at her, wistfully. "It was a very brave thing you did, my dear."

"Excuse me?"

He looked up, only to see a doctor standing in the doorway. "Yes?"

"Are you authorized to be in here?"

"Agent Todd is my responsibility, my good man," Ducky said firmly, squeezing Kate's hand again. "I've been told to stay here and look after her until I am relieved by my assistant. He'll be here sometime soon."

"Why are you here? She won't be waking up for a long time. We gave her some pretty heavy painkillers."

"I didn't want to leave her here alone. Surrounded by strangers."

"She likely isn't even aware of her surroundings right now," the doctor said, acting like he was talking to an old man.

"Regardless." Ducky fixed him with a glare that could rival one of Jethro's. "It's the least I can do for her."

"Has her family been contacted?"

"I don't know, but I will find out."

"See that you do. I have to check Miss Todd's breathing."

"Her breathing is fine."

"Are you a doctor then?"

"Actually, yes, I am." Ducky held up his NCIS ID, offering a hesitant smile. "I'm afraid the photo quality is not as good as I would like… but rest assured, that is me."

"Dr. Donald Mallard?" the doctor asked, looking it over. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Afraid not. If you have an issue with my credentials, you can speak to NCIS."

"I've never even heard of NCIS," the doctor said.

"Agent Todd here is with NCIS too."

"I doubt she'll be vouching for anyone anytime soon."

"She is my responsibility," Ducky said again, with patience. "I refuse to leave her."

"Be my guest then, Dr. Mallard. But see that her family is contacted." The doctor left, leaving Ducky alone to his vigil again. He gave thanks again that Caitlin was not on one of his tables; he was not sure he'd be able to cut into her.

"Oh Caitlin," he sighed, before leaning in and kissing her forehead. Her hand was limp. "My brave, brave girl."

The rain was still pouring outside.

 **XNCISX**

It was like a monsoon outside, the rain beating relentlessly against the windows of the squad room, the wind howling, rattling the panes of glass. Inside, the squad room was dark, empty. And who would be here? A manhunt was going on, and the walls were no longer keeping the world out. The storm raging outside was fierce, and thunder rumbled in the distance.

Gibbs didn't notice any of it.

He was reliving his worst nightmare over and over in his rapidly racing mind.

Kate crashing to the rooftop, again and again, every time he closed his eyes. Even when they were open, he could hear the echoes of the guns, watching the bullet fly past her head, narrowly missing her beautiful brain. Her blood was still covering his hands.

He was staring at, but not really seeing Kate's desk. Her chair was turned slightly, the way it always was when she turned to face him. His heart ached to see it.

If she died… he would be forever in her debt. Already he could feel pieces of himself detaching, the fissures in him that had barely begun to heal from Shannon and Kelly, but were now exploding into cracks because of Kate.

What if she died?

And then he blinked, because Kate was standing right in front of him. It wasn't possible. She was dressed in the clothes she'd been wearing earlier, the ones that were now sitting, stained with her blood, down in evidence.

"Why me, Gibbs?" she asked, quietly, her emotions reflected quite openly on her face. "Why did I have to take a bullet for you?"

 _Because, Katie, you're a fool. You threw yourself unarmed into harm's way, and I'll never forgive myself._ He simply shook his head, staring at the ghostly vision in front of him, knowing that this wasn't Kate, this was something his overtired, emotionally distraught brain had cooked up to keep him sane. It wasn't working. And for once, he didn't have the answer to her question. So he gave her the simple answer, the way he always had. "I don't know, Katie."

She leaned against his desk, watching him, her eyes cold. It wasn't his Katie. "What's your famous gut telling you?"

He shook his head, staring at her. He wondered suddenly about her bracelet. Was it in evidence too? Was his team about to discover the truth all too late?

"Why me? Why me, instead of you, Gibbs?" And then, before he could reach for the illusion, she was gone. And he was alone. He turned again to stare at the chair, her desk empty and abandoned. She might never sit there again.

He couldn't face it.

What if the last thing she'd ever said was his name? How could he possibly recover from such a loss?

Hearing the elevator ding, he turned and looked, seeing an absolutely soaked McGee and DiNozzo, dripping water onto the carpet as they walked in.

"We found Ari's sniper nest boss," Tony said, his voice sounding exhausted. "Abandoned office building to the East." He shook his head, sending water droplets everywhere. "Ari didn't police his brass."

He pulled out an evidence bag, but clearly expected no reward for his services, handing it over to Gibbs without comment. Gibbs moved closer and took it from him, squinting down at it, remembering how Kate was always reminding him to wear his glasses.

"They're Lapua 308s," Tim explained, and then froze as he seemed to understand what he was implying. He was already starting to stutter through an apology. "I… I didn't mean that you couldn't see that."

"I can't without my glasses," he replied, offering a nod to Tim. "Lapuas match grade sniper ammo." He started walking off with the bag of bullets, before asking, "Did you find any other bullets?"

"Didn't find any that match the other casings. We left three guys on the roof, searching."

Gibbs wasn't listening, analyzing the ammo in the bag. Was he insane? The bullets were shockingly, frightening familiar, and pieces were beginning to fall into place. His churning gut had only been the beginning. It had all started with his churning gut, only a few days prior. And now there was a chance Kate would never again be in his bed.

"McGee and I will go back to the roof and keep looking," DiNozzo volunteered.

Gibbs looked up at them in amazement. They were both soaking wet, clearly exhausted and emotionally worn out, but here they were, volunteering to keep working. For Kate.

"DiNozzo, you're soakin' wet. Go put some dry clothes on." He watched as McGee and DiNozzo exchanged a look.

Gibbs walked over to the window, staring out at the rain, which continued to pour down, drenching DC in the process, and washing away potential evidence. His mind was still reeling, constantly thinking. "Ari's rooftop wasn't much higher than the one we were on," he said, thinking out loud, before inhaling sharply as he remembered. The bullet had gone so close to striking Kate. She would be dead, if it weren't for her damn hero complex. He wasn't sure what made him more upset; the fact that she had nearly died for him, or that she would have died if she hadn't thrown herself in the way for him anyway. "The rooftops behind us were lower. No telling how far a full metal jacket bullet would go."

"How do you know that the bullet was a full-metal jacket?"

"Didn't you see what almost happened to Kate?"

"I didn't want to," Tim replied.

"Let's just say her head wouldn't have been in one piece, Tim."

"Would she have looked really bad?"

"No, little mortuary putty right in the center of Kate's forehead, she'd be good as new… she was having a bad hair day though. Good thing she's not dead." He headslapped him. "C'mon Tim, a bullet like that would have put a hole the size of a grapefruit in the back of her head.

McGee pled with him then, looking as though he'd reached his breaking point, "Stop it Tony." He paused. "Please."

"I'm sorry Tim. It's okay. She's not dead, right?"

"Not yet," Tim said miserably.

"Three rounds, and no hit?" Gibbs asked them, bringing their focus back in. He didn't want to think about what would happen had Kate not moved when she did. Tony's description was all too easy for him to imagine.

"Ari probably fired off a few rounds when we were weaving across the roof."

"I was standing still when she was almost shot."

"McGee here lasered the distance at nearly 600 meters."

"It was actually 572," McGee said with a nod. He still looked upset after Tony's browbeating.

"I have a theory," Tony offered, and they both looked at him questioningly. "There was a slight shift in the wind, which led to Kate nearly being shot instead of you."

"No, impossible. We weren't standin' anywhere near each other." He thought back. "And even if she'd been nearer… there was no wind."

"You mean… Ari was aiming at Kate all along?" DiNozzo asked, catching on. He was horrified. "But… you're the one Ari wans to kill."

Gibbs walked over to McGee's desk, using the lamp, ignoring the scene taking place behind him.

"Ari had a thing for Kate," McGee told Tony behind him, and he closed his eyes for a second. He should have just shot the bastard dead the last time they'd met. It was his fault. Kate could die and it was all his fault. "Boss?"

Gibbs didn't even make a show of listening, as McGee continued. "Ari was always coming onto her… held her hostage in the morgue. When he kidnapped her… he chose to let her go."

"Why'd Kate never tell me?"

"Gee," McGee said sarcastically. "What a surprise."

From the sound of it, Tony headslapped McGee.

"Don't do that, Tony." He was studying the controller, wanting to shake it, throw it against a wall, because he was not okay… he couldn't face Rosalie and Andrew over their daughter's coffin. He couldn't. "When was this hit?"

McGee and Tony looked at each other for a second, before McGee said, looking confused, "It happened when I was pinned down."

"Ari have a shot at it?" he asked.

"A car was between Ari and the controller… Ari couldn't have hit it. I'm sorry boss, I should have realized it was Ari."

"So why didn't Ari pop McGee?"

"Thanks, Tony." McGee's sarcasm was only half-hearted this time.

"You're a sizeable target… the controller? Not so much."

"Do you think I'm fat?"

"I don't think so… you might be. Maybe a little. Around the waist and the chin."

Gibbs had been doing a good job of pretending they didn't exist, and then he realized. "Ari didn't have an angle on you, McGee."

"You owe that shooter from the warehouse a thank you. He saved your life."

"Bullet entered the controller…" Gibbs was thinking out loud, his brain rapidly putting pieces together, reminding him with every beat of his heart that Kate's heart might never beat again. "Could have ricocheted into the car."

"I'll get on it," Tim said.

He looked at his watch, if only to give him something to do, "Abby should be in by now. Tony, see what you can pull off the brass. I'm goin' for coffee. Two of ya want anythin'?"

"Uh, no."

"No, thank you boss."

Gibbs walked away, needing to get out into the rain, into the fresh air, away from the reproach of Kate's empty desk chair. As he stepped onto the elevator, his cell phone rang. He checked the name on the display, and sighed inwardly.

He answered it, going down in the elevator, his voice quiet. "Hey Daniel. No, there's no change. I'll call ya when there is. Bye."

And he took a deep breath, trying to control his rising anger and panic. He had to catch the bastard. He had to avenge Kate.

And she _had_ to wake up.

She _had_ to live.

He wasn't ready to confront the possibility that she wouldn't.


	6. Chapter 6

The roses were clutched tightly in his fist, the roses he had planted just for her. He didn't want to think of her never waking up to see them; putting them on the rooftop, putting them on her grave. These roses were for her eyes, and her eyes only.

As he stepped off the elevator, and walked down the hallway to her room, every step closer weighed heavier on his heart, and it was the longest stretch of hallway he'd ever walked in his lifetime. When he walked into the hospital room, he stopped short, finding Duck already there, holding Kate's hand. Ducky turned to see him, and offered a brief smile. Gibbs was briefly relieved that it was only Ducky, because he was the only one that knew.

It was silent for a minute, the only sound the beeping of Kate's heart monitor, and then Gibbs managed an actual sentence. "How is she, Duck?"

"She lost a lot of blood…" Ducky trailed off, looking at Gibbs. "But rest assured, she will be fine."

"Don't sugarcoat it, Duck," Gibbs said, walking over, and taking Kate's other hand, stroking his thumb over her hand. He hoped Ducky couldn't see how tightly reined in his emotions were, and just how little it would take for him to lose it.

"Her heart stopped twice when they were operating."

"Will she live?"

"I think so."

Gibbs looked up. "I don't want _think,_ Duck! Will she live?"

"Yes. Barring any unforeseen complications, she should live to a good old age. Don't worry Jethro."

"How can I not worry?" he asked quietly. "When she did this for me."

"I understand, Jethro, but please, don't give up on our Caitlin. She's a fighter."

"We missed her birthday." The words crashed out, his voice quiet with despair.

"What?" Ducky asked.

"Kate's birthday. Her birthday is May 12, Duck. Two days after Tony opened an envelope full of plague. And then with everything… we both forgot."

"It isn't your fault, Jethro. Neither of you. Sometimes life gets in the way."

He kneeled by the bed, looking at Kate. She looked nearly dead lying there, not like the woman he knew, the woman he loved. "We were so busy and I shouldn't have forgotten… she deserves so much better."

"Who better than you, Jethro?"

"There are loads better than me, Duck. Ask anyone."

"No. That, my friend, is where you're wrong. You love her, Jethro. And this is enough, is it not?"

"It should be…" He closed his eyes, fighting his control, refusing to let himself be vulnerable. "I do love her. And I can't lose her." He opened them again to find Ducky watching him sympathetically.

"You're deeply bonded, you and Caitlin. It's only natural."

"What if she dies, Duck? I'll never get to… I won't…" He couldn't find the words.

"You want a future with Caitlin, don't you?"

"I do." His voice finally broke, and he pressed his forehead against her hand, closing his eyes again, unable to look Ducky in the eyes. One of his oldest friends, and he couldn't do it. Couldn't be vulnerable. "I should have been here sooner."

"Caitlin would understand."

"She would, and that's what makes it worse. She _knows_ where my priorities are."

"Jethro, she knows that your priorities are finding who did this to her! She would want you hunt down Ari and make sure he cannot harm anyone else! Don't torture yourself over this."

"Yeah, okay Duck. Um…" he paused, uncomfortable. "Can ya give us a moment alone?"

Ducky stood, letting go of Kate's hand. "Of course. Come get me when you're going, and I'll make sure she isn't alone at any time." He left, leaving Gibbs alone in the quiet room, with the love of his life.

Gibbs leaned in next to her, and for a second, he could believe that she was asleep, waiting for him to come back upstairs after working on the boat. "I'm sorry, Kate. I know, sign of weakness, but I… I could always be weak around ya, right? And you… _are_ my weakness. Not ashamed to admit it."

He was met with silence.

"I shoulda paid more attention on your birthday… shoulda been there for ya… I'm terrified for ya Katie. _Terrified._ And there's nothin' I can do. Except catch that bastard and make him pay."

He kissed her on the forehead, "I love ya, Katie."

Ducky, who'd been hovering just out of sight, in the doorway, walked back in. Gibbs was only mildly embarrassed that he had been overheard, but knew that Ducky would never act like he was a fool. Even if he was.

Gibbs kissed her hand, and stood up, setting the roses down on her bedside table. "Is someone coming to relieve you?" he asked Ducky.

"My assistant is. Mr. Palmer may only be an assistant medical examiner, but I assure you, he can look after Caitlin… I don't want her to die any more than you do, Jethro. I… that is one autopsy I don't know if I could ever do."

"Thanks Duck." Gibbs patted him on the shoulder as he walked past.

Ducky called after him. "And Jethro?"

"Yeah?"

"I have no doubt she'd forgive you. Now go catch the bastard that did this." The moment of venom was clear in Ducky's voice. Gibbs nodded, and took off, fleeing the quiet room and the beeping machines, not wanting this to be his last image of his Katie.

He resolved to get himself a large cup of coffee, because his brain couldn't stand the thought of falling asleep without her… and he knew that only nightmares awaited him.

As he drove back to the Navy Yard with his coffee, the images played over and over in his brain, interrupted only by the ringing phone.

"Yeah, Gibbs."

"Hey Gibbs… it's Andrew."

Gibbs straightened instinctively at the sound of Kate's father's voice. "Andrew."

"Andrew Todd… Kate's father?"

"Yeah… I remember." As if he could ever forget Kate's family. He still had particularly vivid memories of Rosalie, Kate's mother, tossing holy water on him, and Michael, Kate's brother, attempting to beat the shit out of him. Oh yes, he would _never_ forget Kate's family. "Hello sir," he said cautiously. "Somethin' I can do for ya?"

"You can tell me that my daughter is going to be okay, Gibbs." There was a pause, and the police chief cleared his throat. "Please."

"According to the doctors… she's gonna live, Andrew."

There was a heavy silence. "Do you know anything else?"

"Not much. Lost a lot of blood. How are ya holdin' up?"

"It's… a struggle." He took a deep breath, and in that moment, Gibbs realized that both of them were trying to keep it together for the conversation. Gibbs blinked hard, determined to clear the tears from his eyes so that he could drive, as Andrew continued. "Do you want Rosalie and I to come?"

"What, come here?" Gibbs asked, wincing at how rude it sounded the minute it came out of his mouth. He and Rosalie had never really reached a truce, it was more like a mutual _I put up with you for Kate's sake_ relationship. "I don't think that's necessary."

"Are we in danger?" Andrew asked bluntly.

Gibbs sighed inwardly. "Andrew… I…"

"Please be straight with me, Gibbs. I know you're an honest man."

"I need to catch the bastard," Gibbs muttered. "The one who shot our Katie. I need to track him down and catch him, and I don't want him targetin' you an' Rosalie next. Please."

"I understand. Has… has she woken up?"

"No." The answer was clipped. "No, she's still out of it. Andrew, I… I'll catch him. I promise."

"All right Gibbs. And… keep yourself safe, okay? I don't want anything to happen to you either."

"Yes sir."

"And Gibbs?"

"Sir?"

"Thank you."

Andrew hung up, just as Gibbs pulled into the parking lot of the Navy Yard. He got out of the car, and stood there for a second, in the rain, not caring that he was getting drenched. At least he was awake and breathing and-

 _No._

He started walking, wishing he could walk away from his brain and leave it behind. The further he walked, the more the rain soaked into his clothes, but he didn't mind. He wanted to go home, work on his boat mindlessly, and try and ignore the ever-existing presence of Kate.

He was just getting close to Abby's lab, the lights bright and cheerful despite the horrific things they'd seen, and it nearly made him smile, as he went to get his coffee-

He heard the sound of a gun firing.

And then he heard the sound of breaking glass

A yelp that could only be coming from Abby echoing through the night, and he knew, with certainty that it was Ari.

 _No, you bastard you don't get to take her too!_

He reacted instinctively, every inch a Marine and agent. He dropped his coffee and ran, forgetting everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours, forcing himself to think rationally. He made it to the nearest entrance to the building, the lights of Abby's lab still glowing cheerfully behind him. His heart was pounding and all he could think was that Ari was targeting his team. And he was doing a damn good job of it too.

He ran into Abby's lab, shutting the lights off, because he was a former sniper, and knew that Ari would shoot if he had a target. And he wouldn't discriminate as to who he shot.

"Stay down boss, we're taking fire!" It was Tony, curled up with Abby in a corner of the lab, hiding.

He got down to his knees, his joints protesting, reminding him that he couldn't throw himself around like he was twenty anymore. In fact, he could almost hear Kate nattering in his brain about how he couldn't act like he was young, and he would get seriously hurt if he kept-

 _Get out of my head, Katie, unless ya got somethin' useful._

He made his way over to Abby and Tony. He looked her over frantically, unable to take another loss, to lose his daughter _again._ "You okay, Abs?"

"Yeah, Gibbs, I'm fine."

He turned to DiNozzo who looked serious, and ready to take action himself. "Close the bridges between Anacostia Park…Tell Metro that it's a crime scene."

Tony nodded. "On it boss." He started to stand, but Gibbs grabbed his arm.

"What if Ari has a night-vision scope?" he asked.

Tony froze, eyes going wide, and he turned to sneak a glance at the hole in the window. "That's a good point." He started crawling on his hands and knees out of the lab, no easy feat for someone who had recently encountered the plague and nearly died.

He turned to Abby, looking her over again. "I'll get ya bulletproof glass."

"There's no such thing." She was shaking.

"I'll get ya bullet- _resistant_ glass instead."

They both sat back on their heels, and Abby was clearly troubled, as she said, "Ari wasn't firing at you, Gibbs. He was trying to kill Kate, wasn't he? And now he's after me."

"Abs… I was walkin' by your window at the same time Ari fired."

"You're just saying that to make me feel safe."

"I'll keep ya safe, Abs." He put an arm around her and kissed her on the forehead. "It's a promise."

"If you say so."

"Don't ya trust me?"

"I do. You know that, Gibbs."

"Should go upstairs. You've got an incident report to write."

"Will do." It was her turn to crawl out of the lab, with him following her. They stood up once they were in the hallway, and he pulled her into a quick hug, before jogging to the stairs. Ducky was probably back in by now, having left Kate in Palmer's semi-competent hands.

He made it down to autopsy, and stopped dead. He could picture all too well, what could have happened on the rooftop. Kate would be lying on one of the tables right then, already cold, dissected. He felt bile rising in the back of his throat, and took a deep breath, trying to clear his head. _Straighten up, Marine. And catch the son of a bitch._

He walked into it, only to find Ducky standing over the autopsy table, looking over the bloody clothing that covered the surface. It was supposed to be in evidence, so why did Ducky have it. Instead of mentioning it, Gibbs chose a more unconventional way of announcing his presence.

"Ari fired into Abby's lab, Duck."

Ducky turned around, stunned. " _What_?"

"Must've come from across the river in Anacostia Park."

"Was Abigail-,"

"Abby was a little shook up, but Tony's with her."

Ducky, still noticeably pale, nodded. "Are they both in the lab?"

"They're in the squad room, writin' an incident report." He looked over at the table, at Kate's blood-stained clothing that he'd watched her change into only… _God_ was it only two days ago?

He had no idea what time it was, but he'd been working nonstop since it had happened.

Ducky went to grab his good bottle of Scotch, and glasses, Gibbs couldn't stop himself from asking. "You know, Duck, if she dies… ya don't have to do it. You can bring in another ME."

"I couldn't. Not for someone like Caitlin. And she isn't dead, Jethro."

"I've lost men in combat before Duck… you know you will, but you _hope…_ that you won't."

"You're right Gibbs, you've lost men, but have you ever lost a woman?" Ducky's own reminder that she wasn't dead was forgotten and they locked eyes, the two old friends with a dark history. "We're a bunch of old chauvinists Gibbs, women will never be equal in our lives… until they're equal in death. It's different."

"It shouldn't be. Kate was just like any other agent."

"You weren't in love with any other agent!" Ducky said sharply. And then, surprising Gibbs, he reached into his pocket, and pulled out the bracelet. "Jethro, this was in the bag of personal effects at the hospital. I didn't feel right keeping it."

"Did the rest of the team see it?" Gibbs asked. It was how Ducky had found out, after all. He'd seen the inscription on the bracelet, and pieced it together.

"No, goodness no."

"It's evidence."

"No, Jethro, it's yours. And your secret. And if the worst should happen… you at least have that."

"Why… _Why_ did he try to kill Kate instead of me?" Gibbs asked, his voice quiet. He looked down into his drink, as though expecting to find answers there.

"I do believe he meant to hit you."

"No… Ari shot at Abby. He's after my team, Duck… and he's targetin' the women first."

Ducky's eyes went wide with realization. "He's torturing you, Jethro… One has to wonder what made him such a sadist…"

Gibbs'd had it, standing up, and yelling with frustration, "I don't give a damn, I just want to kill the bastard!" He left Ducky behind, knowing that it wasn't his most gracious expert, but he was too upset to go back to the squad room. He also couldn't go back to the lab with a sniper on the loose. That left the evidence garage, where he knew McGee was.

 **XNCISX**

He took a deep breath before walking into MTAC. Bringing politics into it was not the greatest idea, but he needed Morrow's opinion on something. It was bustling with activity, though Gibbs doubted it was all dedicated to bringing down Haswari. He sat down beside Director Morrow, his anger at the situation rising again. Morrow had heard his concerns about Ari, and hadn't given a damn, and now Kate could die because of such carelessness.

"What have you got?" Morrow asked, turning to him.

"Brass from Ari's sniper nest, three bullets, and tire tracks from Anacostia Park, from where he fired a shot into the NCIS forensics lab."

Morrow, unsurprisingly, was unimpressed. "Unusual for a sniper to not police his brass."

"Yes sir."

"I've gotten calls from every director I know, promising to hunt down the sniper as if he'd tried to kill one of their own."

"Try the FBI… Haswari is _their_ mole."

Morrow turned to him. "Gibbs, I've endorsed your recommendation that Agent Todd be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom."

Gibbs was stunned, but managed a nod. "Thank you, sir."

And just like that, he was all business again. "According to your after-report, no one saw the sniper that attempted to kill Agent Todd."

"Ari was on a rooftop six hundred meters away," Gibbs replied.

"An extraordinary shot."

"Not especially."

"You were a sniper in the Corps?"

"Did two tours."

"Vietnam?"

"I'm not _that_ old sir." _Old enough to be dating Kate Todd._ "I served in Panama and Desert Storm."

"Huh. I thought you were older." He got involved in the action in MTAC then, leaving Gibbs unsure of whether or not he was offended. He was thinking it over, and slowly coming to terms with the idea that Morrow would not give him permission to use extreme prejudice in Ari's case.

Morrow turned back to him at last, and Gibbs tensed, ready to continue the fight. "Now, what were we talking about?"

Gibbs couldn't help his retort. "Avoidin' usin' Ari's name and the word _sniper_ in the same sentence, sir."

"Your anger is understandable, Gibbs. You just nearly lost an agent, could still lose an agent in fact, and you want payback, but it's a passion you cannot afford."

"You honestly don't think it was Ari?"

"I do, but there are people who don't."

"Ah yes, the people who thought they had the holy grail of moles… and those people are coverin' their asses right now."

"Cover your own ass, when you bring Ari in, Gibbs."

"Not a problem sir, because I won't be bringin' Ari in."

Morrow looked at him, stunned beyond words, before shaking his head and standing up, leaving Gibbs at a disadvantage, height-wise. "You're no longer my problem, Gibbs."

"Am I bein' fired?"

"I've been offered a deputy director's position at Homeland Security. NCIS could use some younger blood."

Gibbs snorted. "Not me."

Morrow laughed. "As much as I like you, Gibbs, I would not shoot NCIS in the head like that." He started heading down the ramp, before calling out to someone. "He's _your_ problem, now."

And as soon as he saw the red hair of the woman currently turning around, his stomach dropped in dismay. _Shit shit shit, god damn it-_

"Hello Jethro," said a smiling, smug Jennifer Shepard.

 _Shit._


	7. Chapter 7

"Should we skip the _you haven't changed a bit_ bull?" she asked, and it was essentially his worst nightmare playing out before his eyes. Holy. Shit. He was in so much trouble.

"Why start lyin' to each other now, Jen?" he asked, as cordial as he could manage.

"Any problem taking orders from me?" she asked.

"As a director, or as a woman?" he asked, wincing inwardly even as he asked. He knew that Kate would be thrilled by the idea of a female director... well considering who it was, she might reconsider. At least, she'd probably approve of the _female_ part, not so much the _former lover_ part.

"Either."

He shrugged. "It was six years ago." He figured that it was enough of a non-answer to keep her satisfied without having to explain anything else. He stood, and continued with "the past won't be a problem." And it wouldn't be.

He had Kate, after all.

He walked down the steps, and stood next to her. "You were a damn good, agent Jen." He was already realizing that he couldn't exactly be calling her _Jen,_ not when she was Director of NCIS now. That would take a while to sink in.

"Jethro," she said.

"Madam Director," was his response. He saw her twitch a little, a reaction to the new title, and he almost grinned, even if it wasn't the most appropriate time.

They exchanged a smile, before he followed her out of MTAC, and she turned the conversation to business. "You have no physical evidence linking Ari to the shootings. It's no wonder that agencies in the US and abroad are having doubts."

They were heading for the stairs, and he gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to make a face at her back. Kate would have such a fun time with a female director. Empowerment and all that. "That bastard tried to kill of my people, Director, and now he's tryin' to kill more, _and_ no suit with a tight sphincter is goin' to get in my way, including you, Jen." _Shit._ He'd done it again, but blew past her, intent on getting away as soon as possible.

He was a few steps down when she called him out. "Special Agent Gibbs."

He turned, and raised his eyebrows. He was in a hurry. He had a bastard to catch after all, and he didn't intend to let Jen get in his way.

"On the job, it will either be Director Shepard or _Ma'am._ "

He nodded, feeling like a naughty child receiving a scolding, despite his advanced age and experience over Jennifer Shepard. "And off the job?" he asked, with a smirk, trying to rid her of the self-righteous smile on her face.

It threw her off, but she held firm. "There won't be any off the job, Agent Gibbs," she retorted.

"Yes ma'am."

She finally joined him on the staircase. "We can continue this little chat in private, shall we?"

"I gotta change, Director." He gestured to his rumpled clothing, the bloodstains on his pants from where he'd cradled Kate in his lap- "We can talk in the car."

She blinked, thrown. "Gibbs…" she trailed off, clearly about to reprimand him again.

"I've got a nearly-dead agent and a sniper on the loose, Director. I don't have ten minutes to spare." His phone rang again, and he checked it quickly, hurriedly sliding it back into his pocket when he saw the contact name _R. Todd._

He couldn't deal with any more women at the moment, not when the one he actually wanted _wasn't_ talking to him. "Important call?" Jen asked.

"No, ma'am." They had reached the bullpen, and he was intent on heading out, but first, he needed an update, so that he could at least have some semblance of being in control.

 **XNCISX**

He'd panicked a little in the car, realizing to himself that he was taking _Jennifer Shepard_ to his house, where evidence of his and Kate's domestic existence was everywhere. And he was going back alone, which he hadn't wanted to do, no matter what.

But they were here, and thankfully, Jen had been content to follow him to the basement. She was looking over the boat, but hadn't commented on the clutter upstairs. "What happened to the boat you were working on six years ago?"

"I burned it."

She was surprised by that, and turned to look at him, eyebrows raised. "You burned it because you named it after your ex."

He stared, before switching off the overhead lamp. He was feeling much less grungy now, but putting the blood-stained pants in the hamper felt wrong. Almost like he was leaving the last of Kate behind. Until he remembered the bracelet in his pocket. _Kate's bracelet._ "Let's go," he said, eager to get Jen out of his – out of his and Kate's – house.

"Which ex-wife did you name it after?" she asked, and damn her, why did she have to pick now to get curious?

"You damn well know which one."

"Why didn't you just change the name?"

"It wouldn't have mattered… every time I went out on her, I woulda thought of Diane." Diane, one of the women who'd managed to make him more miserable, not that he'd thought it possible.

"You could have sold it."

He rolled his eyes, unimpressed with her logic, but she continued. "You didn't care who sailed off on Diane." She shook her head. "You're a strange man, Jethro."

"You were a good agent," he retorted.

She stepped back, clearly hurt. "Were?" she asked.

"Yeah, Director's job… pure politics." He waved a hand dismissively.

"I'm good at politics, Jethro. NCIS needs someone who can shake the money tree on the Hill and work with sister agencies."

He made a face at her hypocrisy. "You won't call a boat _she,_ but ya will use the term _sister agencies_?"

"I'm a schizoid libber. Comes from working with chauvinists like you."

He snorted. "Can't believe you're givin' up field work for rubber chicken dinners."

"I don't think they serve that dish at Palena."

He started up the stairs, eager for them to get out of the house. Because if he were to walk into the kitchen, and find Kate's sweater draped over the chair, or find one of her books in the living room, exactly where she'd left them, he knew he was going to lose it, and he couldn't afford to do that in front of Jen. "Never heard of it."

"The food isn't takeout," she retorted.

"Which one of the tight sphincters is takin' ya to dinner? I hope it isn't Fornell."

"It's the CBS early show. They want a background before I go on TV."

His mind went blank for a second, and as soon as it started thinking again he went right back down the steps to where Jenny waited. "Ya can't do that."

"What?"

"Ari is a chauvinist, and he's takin' out the women I work with. And then he's targetin' me."

"People should know that Ari Haswari isn't the sniper," she said sternly. "You don't have any evidence to prove the doubters wrong."

"Have ya ever doubted me?" he asked, wishing it hadn't had to come to this.

"I've never professionally doubted you."

"Why are ya doubtin' me now?"

"I have to establish a working relationship with these people!"

"Are ya sidin' with them… or me?"

"Give me a tough question," she said, before finally heading for the stairs. Grumbling under his breath, he followed her up the stairs, wanting them both gone.

And all the way back to the bullpen, he could feel his phone buzzing in his pocket, and though he should have been answering every call, in case Palmer or one of the doctors was calling, he _really_ couldn't deal with the Todd family at the moment. He was overwhelmed.

But once they got to the bullpen, things got markedly worse. As they walked into the bullpen, he found a woman who appeared to be waiting for Jenny to appear. She appeared to be European at least, maybe Middle Eastern… Israeli? She and Jenny kissed each other on the cheek as Gibbs exchanged a glare with Tony who winced at the sight.

"Well, you missed the big event, but NCIS didn't," Jenny told the woman, who smiled. They kept talking to each other, and Gibbs managed to go over to Tony.

"Ziva David, Mossad." Yes, she was Israeli. "She's here to stop you from whacking Ari."

Gibbs looked over at the young woman, who had to be in her early twenties at most. It was disconcerting to see someone so young already in the field. And then he realized Tony was waiting for an introduction. "Jenny Shepard, Director of NCIS. Same mission as Ziva."

Tony's mouth dropped open. " _Director_?" he sputtered. Gibbs glared at him, and he shut his mouth, offering a close-lipped grin.

Jenny brought over the young woman, Ziva, and introduced the two of them, as they shook hands. "Ziva David, Leroy Jethro Gibbs," she said, smiling benevolently.

Ziva spoke softly, but Gibbs could see that even as he was sizing her up, she was doing the same to him. "Jenny has spoken often of you."

"Really?" he asked, surprised.

"Ziva and I have worked anti-terrorist ops since 9/11. You saw one today up in MTAC."

"Was that one of yours?"

She smiled. "I only acquired the Intel." Her phone started ringing, and her eyes widened as she saw the caller ID. "Excuse me," she said briefly, before ducking away. Gibbs watched her for a second, knowing that there was more to her than met the eye. His gut was still churning.

"So… you're actually the Director?" He winced as he heard Tony ask a stupid question. What a _great_ first impression.

"Yes, I really am the new Director of NCIS."

Tony giggled nervously as she walked away, and Gibbs had the sudden urge to hit something, and so he reacted instinctively, headslapping Tony on the way by.

Tony looked a little relieved, if sore, and grinned. "Good to have you back, boss."

Gibbs looked over, trying to find Ziva, but couldn't, so whistling innocently, he decided he'd take a little walk around the bullpen, his own phone ringing again. As he checked it, he saw a name he'd been dreading since the beginning. _A Brennan._

He did _not,_ under any circumstances, want to talk to Drew, and explain that not only had he failed in keeping Kate safe, but that it was his fault. He jammed the phone back in his pocket. He restlessly started pacing, waiting for Ziva to finish up her call so that he could politely interrogate her.

 **XNCISX**

He was glaring at Tony as the two of them got into the elevator, unable to help himself. Of all the stupid, immature… "DiNozzo, I want ya on Ziva's ass."

Tony grinned, and Gibbs resisted the urge to punch him into the next century. There was a time and place for acting like a jackass, and now was not it. He headslapped again, harder. "I want ya to tail Ziva."

Tony winced. "I knew that."

"Ziva must've been in contact with Ari… it's the only way she could know that I hung up on Ari."

"I didn't want you pissed…" Tony stammered, looking frightened. Gibbs didn't even want to know what he looked like at the moment.

"Thought that _is_ what ya wanted," Gibbs retorted.

"I-I… I did, boss, it was weird when you were being nice, and…"

Gibbs glared at him. "Spit it out, DiNozzo."

"If Ziva is right, then Ari knew that you'd trace the call… and maybe there's a chance Ari isn't the sniper?" he asked, looking as though he was expecting Gibbs to slap him again.

"Ziva was right." Gibbs said out loud. "Ari _wanted_ us to raid the warehouse… he set me up. And now it could cost Kate her life." It shook him to the core, knowing that it really was _his fault._

The elevator doors opened, and as Gibbs got off, Tony asked, "Is Ari a mole or a terrorist?"

Gibbs turned to him. "Ari is whatever works to play his game."

"If Ziva leads me to Ari?" Tony asked.

"Shadow him and call me," he replied.

"So you can bring him in?"

"I'll bring him in." But as the doors to the elevator closed, he bowed his head, and said almost in prayer. "I'll be bringin' him to the morgue."

He turned to stare into Abby's lab, where McGee and Abby were waiting for him to come for a briefing. Taking a deep breath, he tried to steady himself against whatever damning information was going to prove that it was all his fault. He walked in.

"Gibbs!" Abby cried, and she looked better, though he could still see that her eyes were red. "Good, you're here."

"Yeah. Whaddaya got, Abs?"

She glowed a little, at this brief resemblance of normalcy. "The FBI database gave me six weapons whose rifling patterns fit the bullets Tony and McGee recovered."

McGee reached for one, and Gibbs held back a smile as Abby slapped his hand away. "I was able to get rid of a few, leaving three: A Tango 51, Bravo 51 and a Marine M40A1.

"My old friend," Gibbs said fondly, remembering a time when it was all less complicated, when he wasn't in danger of losing anyone but himself. He held up the rifle, and looked through it, as though preparing to shoot, the weight familiar in his hands. He could see that McGee and Abby were both impressed.

"Boss, you look pretty sweet holding that rifle!" McGee said, as though unaware of what he was saying. As Gibbs turned his glare on him, he stuttered. "I-I mean, I just…"

"I know what it means. Did Ari look _sweet_ when he tried to shoot Kate, McGee?"

He blushed, looking at the floor, and muttered. "No, of course not."

"My vote is for the Tango 51 or the Bravo 51," Abby said. "What do you think, Gibbs?"

"Test rounds have more gougin' than Ari's… he was hand loadin' and moly coating."

"You are _so_ good, Gibbs," Abby said with a smile, while McGee looked lost.

"What's moly coating?"

"Molybdenum disulfide, it's a lubricant, that decreases barrel wear but increases accuracy." Abby stated.

"McGee, run a trace on Tango and Bravo 51 sales over the last six weeks in the tri-state area, but check the Bravo first."

McGee nodded, before leaving, Gibbs now alone with Abby in the lab. It was quiet for a moment, an uncomfortable silence between them.

"Any prints on the brass?" he asked, if only to fill the silence.

"Your gut's telling you something… what is it?"

"I need coffee…" he trailed off, unwilling to say anything.

"I don't buy that for a second!" she retorted. "This isn't just another investigation. Todd is your agent, but Kate is my friend, so can you stop pretending that you don't care already? Does Kate mean _anything_ to you?"

If he hadn't hesitated, it wouldn't have fallen apart. But having Abby staring at him, had him open his mouth only to close it again. And finally, when he did answer, his voice cracked a little. And he couldn't do it any longer. "Yes," he admitted quietly.

Abby noticed, and her eyes widened, her mouth dropping open. "Oh my _God._ Leroy _Jethro_ Gibbs!"

He offered a smile. "What, Abs?'

"You… and _Kate_? Really?"

"I didn't say anything!" he said, holding up his hands in surrender.

Abby threw her hands in the air. "Praise the Lord, _finally,_ I thought you two would never get your act together!"

"What?" he asked, before she threw herself at him in a hug.

And then she pulled away. "Oh come on, Gibbs, the two of you have been pining over each other since forever. I just thought you would never act on it! I'm so proud of you two!" And then she froze, staring up at him. "… she's gonna be okay, Gibbs."

"I hope you're right, Abs. We didn't have enough time."

"How long…?" she asked, looking like she really wanted to know, and honestly, what was the point in lying to her any longer?

"Since Christmas," he said, smiling to himself. He wanted to show her the bracelet, before clearing his throat. "Abs… I want to catch the bastard."

She squeezed his arm. "We _are_ going to catch the bastard. Now tell me what your gut is telling you!"

"Abs, what don't I believe in?"

She paused, and then started listing, as though it had been on the tip of her tongue. "UFOs, mystics, coincidences, saying you're sorry, excuses… I could go on all night."

"As a Marine sniper, I used hand-loaded Lapua .308 boat-tail, full-metal jacket, moly-coated bullets." She stared at him, and he continued, refusing to look at her. "Do ya know what a sniper calls a Bravo 51?"

"No…" she trailed off, and raised her eyebrows.

He obliged, his voice dropping to barely audible levels. "A Kate," he said, and hightailed it out of the lab, before Abby could see him cry.

 **XNCISX**

It wasn't raining at the moment, but Gibbs could still feel a storm raging around him, and inside him. Grief, anger. He looked over to Kate's desk, dark in the completely empty bullpen, hoping for answers, only to find her still sitting in her chair, staring at him.

She smirked. "Re-evaluating your convictions, Gibbs? How many times have you told me that there's no such thing as coincidence?"

 _A Kate._

 _Bastard._

"Gibbs?" He turned, Kate no longer there, only to find Jen standing at the edge of the bullpen. "I know it's been a difficult day for both of us…"

He smiled. "That's what my D.I. used to say, but I never believed him." She turned to leave, but it was his turn to call her back. "Director. Having dinner with CBS?"

"I am."

"Don't do the interview." He paused. "Please." _How many times had he asked Kate, used actual manners at this desk?_

"I'll try and push it back a few days."

"Good."

"Good night, Gibbs." She walked out of the bullpen, leaving Gibbs to stare over at Kate's desk, where she was sitting again, her head bowed in the darkness.

He heard the elevator door _ding!_ and looked over frantically when he heard a voice. It was Ducky's voice.

He was on his feet in a second, knowing that he'd told Ducky he couldn't leave, and he was racing for the elevator, but it was closed.

Something was very wrong, if Ducky was ignoring his instructions…

Was nothing going to go right?


	8. Chapter 8

"It's still going to voicemail," Abby said, looking up.

Gibbs was pacing furiously, his fists clenched. "I _told_ him that no one was to leave the buildin'!"

"Gibbs, we're all worried, and I know you're worried too, or you wouldn't be yelling." She crossed her arms, staring him down. "And it isn't Ducky's fault, he probably went over the evidence on autopilot and then drove himself home the same way."

"An outside call came into Autopsy 23 minutes ago, tracing the number now," McGee called from his computer, and for once, Gibbs was grateful for the awkward young probie.

He walked over, and looked over McGee's shoulder, as he was tracing the number, and resisted the urge to pat him on the head and thank him for his good work.

"Anything, McGee?"

McGee turned and grinned at him. "I got it!"

"You gonna tell us, or leave us in suspense, McGee?" he barked.

"The phone call came from Gerald Jackson's cell phone," McGee said, and looked up, about to say something further on the subject of Gerald, but Abby beat him to it.

"I forgot about Gerald."

"He's been in rehab for a year."

"Maybe Gerald heard about Kate?" Abby suggested, but it was a weak suggestion. She continued anyway. "And he called Ducky, they could be in a pub somewhere."

"I don't buy it," Gibbs muttered, feeling his gut churning the hardest it had since Kate's near-fatal shooting a day and a half before.

"Why?" McGee and Abby asked at the same time, and Gibbs shot them a patented glare, that Abby was immune to, but McGee recoiled.

"I don't need a reason why."

McGee dialed the number, and disconnected, before trying again. Watching, Gibbs was filled with a sense of unease that told him Ducky and Gerald, wherever they were, were not safe. He sighed, and looked up miserably at Gibbs, clearly expecting to be chastised. "I'm getting voicemail."

"My theory stands; they're in a pub."

"Do you want to leave a message?" McGee asked Gibbs.

"No, get a GPS fix instead," he said, but tried to keep his voice level. He didn't need to scare the crap out of McGee to get his point across. They were all weary, and over-worked, and emotionally worn out. Getting pissed at poor probie was not in good form, and Kate would probably not approve. She had a soft spot for McGee after all.

McGee hung up, and started pinging the phone. Gibbs checked his watch, and back at McGee. "Hurry it up, McGee, would ya?"

"Just give me one second, boss." He paused, and then brightened considerably. "Got it. Location is Georgetown, Olive and 29th."

"I know the street… mostly residential. Bring up Ducky's cell phone," he told McGee, who obliged.

His number appeared on the map, along with Gerald's in the same location, and instead of finding it reassuring, Gibbs felt worse.

"They're together!" Abby said with a grin, clearly excited, thinking that they were safe.

"There's no pub there, Abs." He went to grab his gun, but Abby wasn't done.

"Gerald might live in the area?"

"Gerald lives on Peabody," McGee told her, and Gibbs only took a second to wonder why McGee knew Gerald so well, considering there had been very little overlap between his tenure at NCIS, and Gerald's, which had of course ended with a bullet in his shoulder.

"Okay, so they're parked, they're probably talking," Abby reasoned.

Gibbs took off, and McGee called after him. "Boss, should I come with you?"

"Nope. Tony's out. You… stay with Abby." He headed off before either of them could refuse. He didn't have time for this, not when Ducky and Gerald could be the next two on Ari's hit list.

At least if his gut was right.

 **XNCISX**

He was getting drenched again, but the rain felt good. He felt feverish, trapped in his own mind, and with every passing the second, the possibility of Ducky and Gerald surviving was dwindling away, which ate at him like nothing else. "Where are they now?" he asked, and he shouldn't have been in the rain with his phone, which was definitely not waterproof, and what if one of the doctors called? What if Kate woke up and they couldn't get ahold of him?

"Same place: Olive and 29th."

"Get a fix on my cell," he told him, feeling the sudden urge to sneeze in the damp, but managing to avoid it. In the pause as McGee did so, he surveyed the area, feeling worse and worse.

"You're right on top of them."

He groaned. "They're not here McGee!"

"They have to be," McGee insisted, thinking that Gibbs was implying that he was wrong.

"Is there a pub?" Abby asked, and as much as Gibbs loved her, he had never had the urge to headslap her like he did now.

"There aren't any pubs, people or cars."

"I was just checking."

He went back to the car for a flashlight, even though the weak beam wouldn't aid him much in his search. But how hard was it to find two average-sized men? "How accurate is the fix?" he asked.

"Within 25 meters," McGee replied quietly. Even he could sense the seriousness of the situation.

Gibbs hung up without another word. He saw the garden opposite the car, and walked over as fast as his chilly, aching legs could manage. He could see something in the wet grass, and used a glove to pick it up, already dreading what it was that he would find.

He looked it over, finding it to be a can of beer, but there was a bullet hole in it, dark and round, a perfect hole. He felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck, and he suddenly felt like he was being watched.

And then he heard her voice, and closed his eyes, praying for the torture to stop. "It's gonna happen again, isn't it? Ducky's gonna take a bullet for you."

She had to be standing behind him, but he couldn't afford to look at her. He didn't need this. He started looking around with the flashlight, determined not to look behind him, knowing that this was something his conscience was cooking up to get back at him. "Ari won't kill Ducky," he said, answering her, feeling a lump in his throat.

What had their last conversation been about? What had they talked about? Had he told her he loved her?

"Why not?" she demanded. "Is it because you couldn't live with the guilt? Maybe Ari knows. Maybe the only way to save Ducky, Abby and McGee is for you to kill yourself."

He choked, before whirling around, finding her gone. He was alone in the pouring rain, and he had only one reassurance for himself. "Katie, I know ya, and you would _never_ say that." It didn't help out the weight in the pit of his stomach, as he kept searching.

And then his eyes widened, and he pulled out his cell phone again, noticing that he had a missed call, probably from McGee, but he couldn't care less. He found Ducky's number and dialed. And then he waited.

He heard the bagpipe music even standing as far away as he was, before he raced over, following the sound, the most patriotic ringtone Ducky could find now being his lifeline. And just as the bubble of hope in his chest formed, it popped quite suddenly, leaving him feeling hollow and breathless. Because instead of Gerald and Ducky, he found their cell phones, lying in the grass.

He ended the call, and phoned McGee. Abby and McGee apparently had been waiting for the phone, because they picked up on the first ring. "I found Ducky and Gerald's cell phones in the park."

"Why would they leave their cell phones in the park?" McGee asked, confused.

He could tell he was on speakerphone, but he continued talking anyway. "They wouldn't."

"Do you want me down there?" McGee asked again.

"McGee, if I wanted ya down here, I would have told ya so!" He started heading back to the car, before telling McGee, "Put a BOLO out on Ducky's Morgan. Pull the license plate from his file."

"Gibbs, Ari has Gerald and Ducky."

"They're not dead, Abs."

"How do you know?" Her voice wavered as she asked, and he almost felt sorry for her.

"Because Ari dumped their cell phones in the park, not their bodies," he retorted.

"Boss, Gerald is _here,_ " McGee said suddenly.

"How did he get away?" Gibbs asked, feeling sick. _You're not taking Ducky too._

"I didn't." He recognized the voice a second too late. Gerald. "Ari let me go."

Gibbs knew he needed to get back to the bullpen to talk to Gerald. It was their only hope of finding Ducky. He _couldn't_ let Ducky die. He hung up and gunned the engine, hoping that he wouldn't be too late.

 **XNCISX**

The phone rang as he was heading to his rendezvous at the hotel with Tony, and he was tempted to chuck it out the window. He had to be reachable, that was all that stopped him. Kate could wake up at any time, and he needed to know immediately. And if she didn't wake up?

To stop _that_ train of thought, he answered the phone. "Gibbs," he barked.

"Leroy, hey. It's Teddy."

"Teddy." Gibbs paused for a second, wanting to be sick.

"Listen, I was hoping to talk to you, I've got some big news, and it's really important, so I couldn't wait. Is Kate around? I know she'll want to hear this too."

"Ted, I…"

"What's wrong?" Teddy asked, picking up on his mood.

"Kate's been shot." He barely managed to choke out the words.

" _Shot_?!" Teddy yelped. And then Gibbs could practically feel him freeze. "Oh my god, Leroy… is she- I mean, is-?"

"She's alive. Barely. She took a bullet for me, Ted." The confession came easily to him. "And she could die for it."

"Christ, Leroy I had no idea… is there anything I can do for you? Do you want me to come down?"

"No, Ted. It's okay."

"Are you sure? I'll do it. In a heartbeat. After everything you've done for me, it's the least I can do. Seriously."

"Teddy, it's fine. I just can't talk right now. I do want to hear this news, I swear. But right now… I can't."

"I understand, Leroy. Call me as soon as she wakes up… please?"

"Of course I will. Thanks Teddy."

"Hang in there, Leroy. I know it's gonna be okay."

Gibbs hung up, the lump in his throat growing with every passing second, beneath the carefully controlled mask he was presenting to his team. Teddy knew him so well, it was going to be impossible to face him if Kate died. He pulled up across from the hotel, just in time. His phone rang again, and he took a deep breath, his control back in one piece, before answering.

"Gibbs. Talk."

"It's DiNozzo. Can you see me?"

Gibbs looked up and saw him standing on the front steps of the hotel. "I'm across the street," he said shortly, before flashing his lights.

"Gotcha." Tony hurried through the rain to Gibbs' car, sliding into the passenger seat, before turning to Gibbs without preamble. "Ziva slipped a phony French passport and some cash to the woman with the Star of David that I told you about."

Gibbs reached around to the back seat, before tossing the pizza box in Tony's lap. The look of gratitude on his face nearly made Gibbs smile.

Tony looked up. "I love you, boss."

"How do ya know the passport's phony?"

Tony grabbed a slice of pizza, before saying, "It has Ari's photo but not the name."

"What name is he using?" Gibbs asked, impatiently.

"Aren't you curious as to how I got it?" Tony asked with a grin.

"I assume you improvised like a good agent should," Gibbs said, shaking his head.

"Oh, what an improv!" Tony looked wistful. "I swear to God, Gibbs, I could get a gig on SNL. Okay, get this: I pretend like I'm this real goof guy trying to get-,"

"Pretend?" he asked, immediately regretting it, because Tony's face fell.

"That hurt, boss." Tony went back to his pizza, clearly sulking about the insult, but as Tony went to take a bit, Gibbs stopped him.

"The name, DiNozzo?"

"The name Ari's travelling under is Rene Saurel."

"Description?"

"I only saw the name and the photo."

"A description of the woman, DiNozzo."

"Dana, about 5'9 with dark hair and she's wearing a blue and white jogging outfit…" he looked lost in thought, and Gibbs thought that was it. And then he perked up again. "Carrying a big gym bag, real pretty girl… looks enough like Ziva to be her sister. She's real pretty boss."

"Maybe she is," Gibbs retorted, not interested in how attractive the woman was. "Mossad's like the Mafia, one big happy family." He called McGee. "I've got a passport alert for ya, McGee. Ari's travelling under an alias: Rene Saurel. Sierra. Alpha. Uniform. Romeo. Echo. Lima."

"Under what alert category?"

"Terrorism!"

"On it," McGee replied, before hanging up.

"That should get Customs' attention," Tony said.

"I wanna make sure Ari doesn't even get that far."

They watched Dana exit, DiNozzo pointing her out, before Gibbs turned to DiNozzo. "Stay with Ziva."

"What if Dana is meeting Ari? You're going to need back-up." Gibbs shot him a death glare, which had him stumbling over his words. "Let me rephrase that."

"Get out of the car, DiNozzo."

As he got out of the car, he turned back. "Thanks for the pizza, boss."

"Thank the night shift," he replied with a slight smile. It faded once Tony walked away, but Gibbs was all business again.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gibbs saw that Dana's taxi was leaving as she spoke to someone on her phone, and took off without giving DiNozzo the chance to give him further lectures about back-up. He started tailing the taxi, keeping his distance. He knew how to tail someone after all, and if he followed too closely, he might as well have put up a sign saying _I'm following you!_ Being obvious was Tony's gig, not his.

As they turned the corner, he saw another car approaching and didn't think about it for a second, until he realized.

"Shit!" It was Ducky's Morgan. Which meant Ari. It had to be!

He swung the car, so that he was blocking the way forward for the Morgan, and jumped out of the car as fast as his age and fatigue would let him, gun already drawn. "Get out, Ari!"

And then he lowered his gun in disbelief, realizing that it wasn't Ari at all.

"Put the gun down, Jethro. I've had enough excitement for tonight."

The taxi drove off, as Gibbs stared in disbelief. Ducky was alive in front of him. And okay. But Ari had gotten away again.

He walked over, starting to examine the Morgan, to see if it was any worse for wear, or rigged with a bomb to blow him up the second he approached. It would be just like Ari, who would probably take a sadistic amount of pleasure in blowing up a vintage car so long as Gibbs was inside it.

"Ari abducted me, Gerald stripped my gears, and now you're busy playing chicken on a wet street!" Ducky complained, his accent getting more pronounced the more upset he got. Gibbs kept an eye on him, worried that before long, he'd get so angry that he'd just start ranting in Gaelic.

"Where's Ari?"

"I imagine Ari's gone. We were parked about… well, a ways back. Ari received a phone call, and told me to drive down this street for ten minutes."

Gibbs pulled out his phone, calling McGee again. He might as well put the probie on speed dial at this point, with a case like that. "Congress number 17 picked up a female fare at the Embasero Hotel ten minutes ago. If he's en route, I need his 20, but if he's dropped his fare, get me an address. And take the BOLO off Ducky's Morgan, he's safe."

He hung up before getting an answer, Ducky looking at him with worried eyes. "Our paths didn't cross by accident, Jethro."

"Ari's call came from that woman in the cab I was tailin'."

"Ari sent me down this street so that I'd run into you." It was dawning on both of them.

"Yeah," he replied with a sigh. "A cab keeps going. Picks him up. They're gone."

"Ari abducted me to get you off of her tail." Realization struck.

"What did you talk about?" Gibbs asked.

"We spoke about the Morgan. Ari was surprisingly knowledgeable. We discussed Edinburgh Medical School, we were both alumni you know, decades apart of course-,"

"Anything important, Ducky?" he interrupted. His patience was worn thin, too thin to deal with Ari's pleasantries.

"Ari swore to me that he was not the one who tried to kill Kate, Jethro. He made a very logical and passionate defense."

"Do you believe him?"

"Ari was very persuasive. He did say that he knew you'd never believe him."

"He's right about that," Gibbs snarled in response, frustration seeping into him faster than the rain had.

"And that it's a shame that one of you has to die. He's arrogantly confident that it won't be him but said on the off-chance that it is, to keep looking for Caitlin's would-be killer."

He turned and headed for the car without waiting, and called over his shoulder, "Ari is a slick bastard but he's right. One of us is goin' to die."

"Jethro!" he heard Ducky call, but Gibbs took off, not willing to hear what he had to say, especially if he was only going to continue defending Ari.

 **XNCISX**

He was driving blindly, not really aware of where he was going until he was pulling up in front of Director Shepard's house. He hadn't really been left with many options as to who could help him, and he'd honestly rather work with anyone else before asking for her help. She had been a good field agent, when their personal lives weren't getting in the way.

And it wasn't as if he wanted her attention for another reason. Not when Kate was on the verge of death. He was a bastard, but he'd never cheat.

He got out of the car, about to head over, wondering exactly how the conversation was going to go down. He was approaching the house as slowly as possible, feeling like a condemned prisoner ascending the gallows, but mercifully, his cell phone (for once in its miserable career) saved his ass. It rang.

He headed back to the car, picking it up just in time.

"We've got Ari's plate, boss!"

"Whoa, McGee, slow down," Gibbs said, into the phone. "Take a breath."

He heard McGee breathe deeply, and then Gibbs said. "Now, go ahead, McGee, I'm listening."

He glanced up at the window, wondering exactly how painful this was going to be for him, even though he was listening to McGee.

To confirm, he said, "Seven, Two, Four, Tango, Julia, Alpha. Got it." He was about to hang up, but Kate was tapping his conscience on the shoulder. "That's good work, Tim. Thanks." He hung up, and sighed, looking up at the house again, noticing that the window was lit, possibly by a bedside lamp.

He dialed, waiting for her to pick up. And once she did, he launched into his speech, never one for formalities. "I need a partner for the night." _Shit,_ did he _have_ to make that sound like an innuendo? Was his brain trying to sabotage him? It appeared that way. "You up for it?"

"Don't you know any other women?"

 _Shit._ Well, he could still play it off. "There are no other women I can call for back-up. You didn't think I meant-,"

"That's what you have a whole team of agents for, Agent Gibbs."

"McGee's on protection detail, and Tony's busy tailin' Ziva."

" _What_?" He grinned, happy to get her all riled up. "Where are you?"

"Right outside your house," he replied casually.

She was at the window, he waved up at her with a casual smile. He didn't want to betray anything, nor did he want to make things any more awkward than they already were. He'd get her help, and that would be that. They were perfectly capable of having a professional relationship.

She hung up, and a few minutes after that, was hurrying across the street to where he was parked. She'd no doubt dressed in record time, but still looked perfectly coiffed and neat.

As he started the engine, the windshield wipers going in record time – he couldn't remember the last time they'd had this much rain in May, even in DC – she tied back her hair, getting ready for work. "What are the chances that Ari's still at the house?"

"Zero. Ducky was a diversion, so that your friend Ziva could pass cash and documents on to Ari."

She shook her head. "Ziva's a control officer doing her job, and you would do the same if the roles were reversed."

"She's usin' you!"

"I'm using her, Gibbs. Half a dozen Hamas suicide bombers won't be blowing up their boys in Iraq because of Ziva!"

"She's Metsada, isn't she?" Gibbs asked, impatient with the non-answers. He knew that there was more to Ziva than met the eye.

"The Mossad code name for that division is Komemiute," Jenny said, with no sign of admission at all. It wasn't a denial, but it was enough confirmation for Gibbs.

"Whatever they name it, they specialize in assassination."

"Weren't you a Marine sniper?" she asked innocently.

"If I have to go through your friend to get Ari, I will."

"Ziva knows that," she told him, casual to a fault. Would nothing he say rattle her?

"You really do like her," he said, disgusted. No wonder he couldn't get through to her. Jen could always be pig-headed and stubborn when she wanted to be. Even worse, she'd probably picked that up from him.

"She's damn good. And I owe her." Well, that made shit even _more_ complicated. "She saved my life in Cairo two years ago."

He turned to give her a quick look, before turning his attention back to the road. Having Jen so close was dangerous, just in the way it brought up old memories for him. Memories he couldn't afford at the moment. They road in silence for a few minutes, Gibbs unwilling to say anything more on the subject of Ziva David. They got to the address McGee had given him, buried in a stream of techno-babble, and Gibbs parked the car. If he was staking out, he'd picked the worst partner.

Naturally, his favorite stake-out partner was currently in the hospital with a hole in her chest that he might as well have put there. And he was no closer to finding her attempted murderer.

But it was between Ari and him, and he knew that only one of them would make it out alive. He also knew that bringing Kate into it wouldn't help anyone. Least of all Kate herself.

"I can't believe this," Jen said, breaking the silence. "I've been a Director less than 24 hours and I'm already back on the street."

"Isn't it great?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

She rolled her eyes. "It isn't."

"Aw Director, ya love it."

"Truthfully, I'd rather be in bed." She realized how that sounded a second later. "Sleeping," she said, amending her statement.

And then she'd tripped whatever wire it was in his mind that messed up pretty much every relationship. It was a goddamn self-destruct button and he tripped it every time he thought he could make it. "Do ya remember that stakeout we did in Marseille in August… stuck in that attic with no air… photographin' everyone who boarded that Lebanese trawler… that second night was the first time we…"

She clapped a hand over his mouth, shooting his self-destructive tendencies in the foot. "Okay!" And he was oddly grateful, because if Kate was listening to this conversation, she would hate him. He hated himself a little. She leaned in, and whispered, "Shut up."

As she removed her hand, he noticed something, activating the wipers, moving some of the rain off the windshield.

"Give me the binocs… they're underneath the seat," he muttered.

She handed it to him, and he looked over at the license plate, squinting, wishing that he had his glasses, his eyes really _were_ that terrible. And then his heart gave a terrible leap as he realized. _The license plate!_

724-TJA.

He must have made some kind of noise, because Jenny was immediately asking, "What?"

"That's Ari's SUV." He passed her the binoculars, and started to drawn his gun. And then he saw the window roll down.

"Shooter!" Jen cried, and the two of them ducked for cover, just as the bullet hit the windshield.

"Stay down!" he ordered, before moving the car forward, bullets continuing to crack the glass. They were getting closer, before seeing the sniper fleeing the SUV.

He stopped the car, as they both jumped out, guns already drawn. If they were in training, they would have gotten full marks, but this was too real, and the consequences were a lot more than a failing grade. They were shooting at the sniper in tandem.

He hit the ground, and Gibbs was fairly certain he was dead. He and Jen exchanged a look, and what he saw told him exactly what he needed to know. She already missed field work. Together, they approached the body, guns still drawn.

He turned over the sniper's body, thinking even as he did so that this couldn't be it. And his suspicions were quickly proved correct, as the body was finally flat.

Jenny sounded confused from beside him. "I expected Haswari to be older."

Gibbs shook his head, disappointment and anger choking him. He cleared his throat. "He is."

And of course, the sniper in question, the one that he had just shot dead, aiming to kill, was not Ari Haswari.


	9. Chapter 9

It was another morning of waking up without Kate, in a world where she still hadn't woken up. She might as well have been dead, and so long as he was without her, what was Gibbs doing aside from going through the motions.

He did remember, snatches of conversation, as Ducky detailed explicitly exactly what damage Gibbs and Shepard had done to the terrorist whose body now lay on a table in autopsy. But Gibbs was only half listening, because he was too busy thinking about exactly what damage the bullets had done, and how Kate had survived the damage herself. Because she'd been shot too. It was a miracle that she wasn't lying on the autopsy table.

Ducky had looked at him sympathetically, and even just the fact that he knew was reassuring. He had poured him a drink, but Gibbs had refused. His head was foggy enough without adding alcohol to the cloud of grief. He'd left autopsy and an hour later could only remember one word in ten of his conversation with Ducky.

He'd gone to the evidence garage next, where McGee had tried to explain, with high levels of both techno-babble and explicit detail, what a miracle it was.

"It's a miracle, boss," McGee said, but Gibbs was thinking about how much of a miracle it would be if Kate were to wake up, and willed his phone to ring. It didn't, of course, and McGee kept talking. "The sniper was looking to kill Director Shepard, not you, and it's the same thing he did with Kate and Abby." He was still looking over the ruined car, and Gibbs wanted to headslap him, if only to shut him up for five goddamned minutes about how it was Gibbs' fault. "It's funny that the sniper always wen after women… n-not to imply that he'd have shot you, boss," McGee stuttered.

He didn't remember the rest of the conversation, but remembered nodding along in the appropriate places, before heading to Abby's lab to get more talk.

She too, like Ducky, had given him a lot of sympathy, which he hadn't absorbed, and then the facts, which weren't any better.

"You aren't gonna like this, Gibbs… All of the .308 full metal jacket rounds recovered from the shooting came from the Bravo-51 rifle in my lab that was dropped by the sniper you and Director Shepard killed last night."

And once again, it was a blur. Somehow he found himself standing alone in the staircase, his forehead pressed against the wall, his hands stuffed in his pockets to keep them from shaking. Was this what the rest of his life was going to be like without Kate? He was barely half a man without her around.

The last time he'd been so shattered, it had been because of Shannon and Kelly. And whatever that implied about his feelings for Kate, he wasn't sure. But if she died, he couldn't even have his one last chance at happiness. _She_ was his last chance at happiness, and even after rule 12 was well and fully shattered, it was about to be snatched away.

He managed to find his way back up to the bullpen, keeping his hands wrapped around his coffee cup, hiding the tremors of despair running through him, outwardly keeping an impassive mask. And then, his whole team was there, and Jen too.

"Two years ago," Tony was saying, "Mohamed Esfiri was a homegrown terrorist who was born in Cleveland and who was a fan of a radical inam who promised…" He trailed off, as Jenny clearly had something she wanted to say.

"Abby has confirmed that the sniper rifle we recovered last night was the weapon used in Agent Todd's attempted murder, and with no evidence to the contrary, it appears that Esfiri was the sniper." She turned to Gibbs, who looked up at her. "I believe it's safe for your team to go home, Gibbs. It's been a long case, and they all deserve rest."

The team turned to look at him, as though expecting him to deny it, but he nodded. They did deserve rest, and he couldn't keep them embroiled in this mess forever. They headed off, Ducky embracing Abby on the way out. It had been a hard few days, and now it was the way Gibbs wanted it. Just him and Ari, the way it was supposed to be.

"And what about you, Gibbs?" Jen asked.

"Mohamed didn't shoot at Kate, and he sure as hell didn't shoot at Abby." The words were out before he could stop them.

"You aren't infallible, Gibbs, no matter what your gut's telling you. Ari isn't trying to kill you, but your own obsession might."

"Why did the sniper only shoot at your side of the car last night?"

"You're right. He was trying to kill women who work with you," she admitted.

He stood. "I called ya at the spur of the moment. I parked in the dark. Sniper couldn't see through the windshield even with a scope. The sniper was sent to die. Not to kill."

"N-no one's going to do that," she replied, confused.

"Come on, Jen." As they left the bullpen, he continued, "Hamas suicide bombers blow themselves up all the time. Doesn't matter how they die as long as it's for jihad. Mohamed last night died for rivers of honey and 72 virgins." He pressed the elevator button. He didn't know where he wanted to go, but he had to leave. That was all he did know.

"I'm not saying you're right…" she said. "But you are, how do we prove it?"

He turned to stare at her. "Did ya just join my side?" he asked.

"I've always been on your side." She paused, and thought for a second. "What do we do?"

"Kill Ari before he kills me," he responded, before the elevator doors closed, leaving him with only the lasting impression of the shock on her face.

 **XNCISX**

At least when he was sitting in the rain he felt something. Even if something was complete and utter despair. He'd at least put the dog in the gazebo. As long as not everyone was getting drenched, it was okay. He didn't even look up, just stared straight ahead.

If they'd had a chance, would Kate even want a dog? What about kids? Did Kate even want kids? But the biggest question to him was _why hadn't he ever asked her while she was still around to answer him?_

"It's raining, Gibbs." He looked over at the familiar voice, only to find Tobias Fornell, looking snug and dry underneath an umbrella. He walked over, and held the umbrella up over both of them. Gibbs nearly thanked him, but didn't want to scare the other man. He looked down at Gibbs. "You smell like a wet dog."

"There was one under the bench when I got here. I put him in the gazebo."

"Why aren't you in the gazebo?"

"Dog smells like hell," Gibbs answered.

"Well why didn't you leave him under… Never mind."

"If I ask ya somethin', are ya gonna lie to me?" he asked, looking over at him.

"Depends on the question," Fornell replied.

"What's Ari Haswari's real mission here?" he wondered aloud, and the look on Fornell's face told him everything he needed to know.

"I'm gonna lie to you," he said. "Mossad lies to the CIA, the CIA lies to us, and because I'm an FBI agent I lie to you, the NCIS special agent. I don't know who you lie to, given that NCIS is at the bottom of the armed fed food chain, and you're not married."

"You don't know," Gibbs said, understanding Fornell's talk underneath all the bullshit.

"Nope. Say, you ever go to the movies?"

"I build a boat," Gibbs said in return, knowing that there was a point. Fornell generally wasn't one for small talk.

"You and the dog are gonna need one." He stood up. "Why don't you get out of the rain and watch a movie?"

"You have a film in mind," Gibbs said, catching on to Fornell's hints.

"The movie in question isn't in theaters anymore, but at least you can rent a DVD."

He nodded. "Sounds like a good idea; it's a good thing to do on a rainy afternoon. What's the name of the film?" he asked.

 **XNCISX**

Once back at NCIS, Gibbs had dragged Ziva away from the absolutely _riveting_ conversation she was having with Tony in the bullpen, and dragged her and Jenny down to Abby's lab. And now on the table in front of them, were various bullets in evidence cases, all pertaining to the mystery of the sniper on the roof, who was now allegedly dead. But Gibbs knew that the four people in the room all knew the truth, however much they might deny it.

He looked over at Ziva. "Do ya know why Ari left his brass behind?"

She huffed, annoyed. "Gibbs, you are like a broken tape."

"Record," Tony corrected. "It's actually a broken _record_."

With not only Ziva, but Abby and Jenny watching too, Gibbs looked over the bullets. He knew them, understood them, with an understanding only a sniper could boast. He'd now been on both ends of the scope, and being the target wasn't any more pleasant than being the shooter. And he used that expertise to his advantage. "A sniper's bass is like signin' your signature. It's why a sniper _always_ polices his brass. The bullets are Lapua .308 casing, boat-tail, moly-coated, full-metal bullet jacket."

"That's what you shot as a Marine sniper," Ziva revealed, and Gibbs blinked, as everyone turned to stare at her. "At Mossad, we use Sierra 6.5 hollow points," she continued, unaware that what she'd said was out of the ordinary.

"How do you know what I shot?" he asked, incredulous. Even Kate, his heart and soul, didn't know very much about his career as a Marine, beyond what he and Teddy had told her.

She looked away.

Jen decided to fill in the blanks. "Ziva profiled you… for Ari."

It was like a blow to the chest, but he brushed through it, unable to let it affect him. He knew he was close to getting the bastard, and the hunt was almost at its end. He had to do it, for Kate. No more wallowing; just anger.

"It wasn't just Gibbs," Tony said in mild disbelief. "It's how you know where I was born and where I want to school."

Ziva straightened, looking at them straight on, like she had nothing to hide. "Ari's missions involved NCIS, and as his controller, I did dossiers on everyone that he might interact with."

Jen cut in again. "It's SOP at Komemiute."

He looked over Jenny, Abby and Tony, the weight of the secret heavy on his tongue, the sounds of his own remembered anguish filling his ears, and he nearly said it right then and there. Instead he said, "Give me a minute alone with Ziva."

They all hurried out, and Gibbs looked her up and down. She was so young, to be carrying out such missions. "You know," he said. "About my first wife and daughter."

The only person that he'd told at NCIS was Kate.

About Shannon. About Kelly.

Ziva inhaled sharply, before nodding. "Yes, I did. I am… sorry."

"Then we know why Ari is shootin' at women then, don't we?" he said softly.

"If Ari wanted to let you know that he was the sniper, then why did he not use your rifle, an M40?"

He braced himself, the same way he had every time he had said the name, had had to think about how the bastard had picked that rifle specifically. To toy with him. To make his revenge all the sweeter. And it would have been so much worse had Kate actually been killed. "The Bravo 51 that Ari fired is called a _Kate_."

She looked stunned, and he wondered just what her connection was to Ari that made her so defensive of him. There was clearly something beyond just a co-worker's concern there. She started pacing the lab, looking more unsure of herself than ever, before turning to him. "I do not believe that Ari is the sniper, but what you say… should be investigated."

"When the media gets ahold of this," he continued casually. "It's gonna create a furor."

"Are you threatening to go to the media?" she asked, looking alarmed.

"No. It can stay between Mossad and NCIS," he told her, in a tone that told her he was not fooling around. Maybe Ziva didn't know Gibbs, but she could read people, and she had to know that he was not a fool.

"In exchange for what?" she asked quietly. "Setting up Ari for you to kill?"

"No, settin' me up for Ari," Gibbs replied, knowing then what he had to do. There was no turning back. This quest of revenge was going to end. "And if I'm wrong about this, he won't show up."

"And if you're right?" she asked. She must have seen blood in his eyes, for she knew. And she had to ask.

"Then I'm countin' on you to back me up," he said. It was a calculated risk, but he knew that in order for this mess to end, it was going to be him and Ari, and if the risk paid off, then that would be the end.

His and Ari's final stand. He'd avenge Kate and Gerald.

Only one of them was going to walk away.

 **XNCISX**

He walked in through the back door on autopilot, the roses in his hand for when he visited the hospital. He knew she might never wake up, and it hurt, but he had to face the possibility. He couldn't… he couldn't be half a man anymore. Kate wouldn't want that. And if his plan worked, then she'd be avenged.

And maybe it wasn't a happily ever after, but it was a start.

He walked down the stairs, the roses still clenched tightly in his fist. He'd grown the roses just for her, so if the last thing he ever did was pick those roses for her, it would be a fitting ending. He set them down on top of one of his work benches, before he switched on another light, and unlocked the drawer, knowing that something was very wrong.

He wasn't alone, but it didn't sink in, until he was pulling out the drawer where he kept his rifle, only to find it completely and utterly empty. He was trapped. And maybe, at least, they'd bury him and Kate together.

"Are you looking for this?"

Gibbs turned around, taking a deep breath. Ari was sitting in the corner, holding Gibbs' sniper rifle, his oldest friend, his greatest weapon. But Ari had already used his biggest weapon against Gibbs: that weapon was Kate.

He sighed, closing his eyes. And there it was. Kate was the biggest weapon in Ari's arsenal, but Gibbs' own sniper rifle came in a close second.

"I want you to know that I wish I did not have to shoot Caitlin."

"Why?" he asked. He didn't know if Ari knew that Kate lived, but he wasn't going to give him any information that could be used to hurt his Katie. She was just a pawn to Ari, but to Gibbs, she was his everything.

"To cause you pain," Ari said softly.

"I piss you off that much?" Gibbs asked, surprised.

"Not you," Ari admitted. And god damn, they were having a heart-to-heart before he killed him. How touching. "My father. You have the misfortune of reminding me of the bastard."

He understood suddenly with terrible clarity, the pieces fitting together in his brain, drawing one conclusion. "Your father didn't marry your mother." He closed the drawer.

"That's what makes me a bastard, not my father. From the moment I was born, my father groomed me to be one thing: his mole in Hamas." Ari cleared his throat. "He sent me to Edinburgh to become a doctor so that I could go work in the Gaza camps alongside my mother, and when my mother died, I had no trouble joining the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam."

"You don't really think your father had your mother killed?" Gibbs asked.

"It was a retaliatory Israeli strike that happened on a day when I was in Tel Aviv, visiting him. After decades of planning, he finally had his mole in Hamas. He never knew how much I hated him. I wish I could see his face when he realizes he created not a mole but a monster eager to strike at the heart of Mossad and Israel." _Great,_ Gibbs thought. _I've been fighting a madman and a monster._

"I almost feel sorry for ya."

"And I for you," Ari said softly, getting to his feet.

Gibbs stood for a second where he was, before moving away, and Ari followed him, until Gibbs was at the base of the steps, and Ari was next to Gibbs' table. Ari's eyes roved the small basement, before he said quietly, "When Ziva told me that you were placing flowers on the roof where Caitlin was shot, I couldn't believe it, it was such a romantic touch… it was almost too good to pass up. Why did you do it?" Ari asked.

Gibbs watched him silently. Ari would never know exactly what it was between Gibbs and Kate, because he wasn't allowed another weapon. Not ever. Katie would never be a pawn in a war again, not if Gibbs could help it.

Ari continued, with a small, oily smile. "I need you to commit suicide with your own sniper rifle. You never gave me enough credit in our little game. I knew it was a trap, even before Ziva told me that you asked her to cover you, because you would never trust Ziva… You would need to personally kill me yourself to taste the sweetness of revenge."

Ari took aim, but Gibbs held up a hand. "Killed enough men in my life." He sat down on the steps, and gestured at Ari, _come and get me, I don't have all day._ It was a taunt, a calculated one, and he knew that. Ari knew that. "It's gonna be just as sweet watching you die." He shrugged.

Ari aimed the rifle at Gibbs, and Gibbs knew he wasn't going to close his eyes, and he thought for a second of Kate, as Ari said softly, "Sorry to spoil your-,"

The sound of a single gunshot rang out in the quiet basement, the bullet striking Ari in the forehead. Gibbs watched with almost a detached interest as he hit the floor, Gibbs' rifle free from his grasp. Gibbs looked down at him, thinking that Kate was finally avenged. _Happy birthday, Katie,_ he thought to himself, before looking up at the door to the basement.

He walked over, retrieving his sniper rifle, hearing the sounds of someone entering the basement. He turned to see Ziva, walking down the steps, the gun still in her sweating hands. She cocked her gun, before standing next to Gibbs, looking down at Ari's motionless body.

There was a single bullet hole in the middle of his forehead, the exact same place he tried to shoot Kate. And Gibbs was oddly pleased at the look of surprise on his face. The game was over.

"His father is a deputy director of Mossad?" Gibbs asked. He didn't know if he expected an answer or not.

It was a gasp, so quiet he barely heard it from her. "Yes."

"David?" he asked.

"Yes. Ari is… _was_ my half-brother," she said softly.

He looked down at Ari, and then over at Ziva, seeing very little resemblance between the two, both in manners and in actions. He touched Ziva's hand, knowing that he couldn't say anything that could possibly thank her for killing Ari and avenging Kate.

He grabbed the flowers from the work bench, and headed up the stairs, noticing as he went out the door, that the sun was finally shining. His gut wasn't churning. And he had to get to the hospital.

 **XNCISX**

On the way to the hospital, his phone rang several times, and he figured it was the doctors, probably calling to tell him that Kate was dead or dying, that she had finally let go, now that Ari was dead. The quest for revenge was over. Gibbs felt free, not as weighed down by grief and loss.

He arrived at the hospital, and even though he thought the flowers were pointless, he walked in, heading over to the elevator. As he stood in the elevator, he closed his eyes, trying to remember all of the good things he'd had with Kate.

All he'd wanted with her was a future, but he'd hesitated, and now he had nothing but a few months of good memories. He'd take all the holy water and ass-kicking brothers if it just meant that she'd be around to steal his coffee, his food and his heart. He'd give away everything he owned just to keep her.

He opened his eyes again, and looked skyward. _Thank you,_ he thought, _for my Katie._

And then the elevator doors opened, and as he passed the waiting room, he saw Palmer, Ducky's assistant, drinking a coffee. Gibbs' blood suddenly boiled. _He'd left Kate alone?_ He was about to go bash his face in, but figured that asking him politely what the hell he thought he was doing would be a better start.

"Palmer!" he snapped.

The kid jumped a foot, and turned around, looking terrified. "Uh… Agent Gibbs, you're… here. That's good."

"What the hell do you think you're doing, leavin' Kate alone?"

"What- Oh, no, no, no, Agent Gibbs, I-,"

"You better have a real good explanation Palmer, or I'm makin' sure ya don't live to have children. What if she'd died while you were gone? Alone?"

"Whoa, wait, what? They didn't tell you?" Palmer asked, confused.

"Tell me _what_?" Gibbs growled at him.

"Agent Todd," Palmer said.

"Is she…" He felt everything, all the fight, go out of him. "Dead?"

"No! Agent Gibbs, she's awake."

And then his heart gave such a leap that he was sure that he was having a heart attack. His eyes widened as she looked at Palmer. "She's awake? Really? I gotta… I gotta go." He started hurrying away, but not before Palmer grabbed his arm.

"Agent Gibbs… I'm glad for you."

And Gibbs realized that he knew. He cleared his throat, regretting that he'd shouted at him. "Thanks Palmer."

"Oh don't worry, I know not to tell anyone, and I'll keep everyone out. But… congratulations sir."

Gibbs barely heard him, immediately rushing out the door, and running, like it was the last stretch of a marathon, until he reached Kate's door, and he barely believed that it was true, because Ari was dead and Kate was awake, could it all be an elaborate prank? Before he knew it, he was standing in Kate's doorway.

And Kate was there, looking pale, and exhausted, and in pain.

And _alive._

"Katie," he managed breathlessly.

"Jethro," she said, before smiling.

He didn't think, he just acted, without saying a word, crossing the room in two strides, and pulling her into a sweeping kiss, his hands on her face, and she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, and then they were tangled together, him kneeling on the edge of her bed as they kissed, and considering he had thought it would never happen again, he thought his heart was liable to burst from the joy of having her back.

He pulled away, and saw that she was crying, but laughing through her tears, and he was weeping too, a little bit. He leaned his forehead against hers. "I love you."

She looked up at him, with awe and affection, "I love you too."

The flowers had gotten a little crushed during their reunion, but he held them up. "I uh… roses."

"Roses. My favorite. You remembered."

He looked her over, critically, and then he picked up her hand, kissing it. "I'm so sorry, Katie. I wasn't here when ya woke up."

"You're here now, aren't you?" she asked.

"And I'm not goin' anywhere. I promise."

"That could get awkward after a while," she told him, and laughed, and it was a magical sound to him. And it was right in that moment, the two of them laughing about how he was currently tangled in her I.V. line, he realized: he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

He was watching her, her brown eyes lit up, her freckles standing out on her pale face.

She looked at him. "What? Do I look terrible?"

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he said honestly.

She smiled. "You look like hell. When was the last time you changed clothes?"

"I lost track. I was a mess, Kate." And then he had to tell her. "Ari's dead."

"What? You waited a whole five minutes to tell me?" she asked. She punched him in the shoulder.

"That was weak, Todd," he said, ducking as she aimed again.

"I got shot, what do you expect?"

At that, he sobered up. "Katie, I'm… I am _so_ sorry."

"Apologies are a sign of weakness. Didn't you teach me that?"

"Not when it's an apology to someone you love."

It must have sunk in, because she looked stunned. "Ari's… dead. Wow."

"I can tell ya, but it's a long story… and it's complicated."

"We're NCIS agents, we thrive on complicated."

"I'll give ya the short version." He kissed her on the forehead, before continuing, "He's dead, and I'm here, and you're alive. And I know it's not _my_ birthday, but I have ya, and that's the best present _I've_ ever gotten."

"Why Agent Gibbs," she said, taking his hand in hers. He kissed her hand, even though it was stuck with an I.V. and intertwined with his. "I think it's the best present I've ever gotten too. Now come here and kiss me again."

He willingly obliged. But in the back of his mind, he was already thinking ahead to the future, and thinking of a very important question he needed to ask her.

If it had been a war with Ari, it was now over. And as he kissed the love of his life, returned to him from the dead, he reflected that victory had never been sweeter.


End file.
